


Roommates

by cookiesandcream91



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-01-21 08:54:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 78,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21296822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cookiesandcream91/pseuds/cookiesandcream91
Summary: [AU Post-College]. They were roommates, bound by a one-year apartment lease contract. Follow these two as they go through the typical roommate shenanigans while slowly falling in love. [GaaIno] [Complete]
Relationships: Gaara & Yamanaka Ino, Gaara/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 32
Kudos: 42





	1. It's right there

“Gaara, I am telling you, it’s _right there_!”

“I don’t see anything.”

“That’s because it’s hiding behind my purse.”

“This one right-”

“Hurry before it gets inside!”

Silence.

“Did you get it!?”

“...No, it went inside…”

Ino shrieked, hugging her knees on the bed as she stared at her red-haired roommate with wide eyes.

It was already past midnight, and Ino’s beauty sleep had been interrupted when something with multiple legs had touched her hand. She wasn’t sure what it was, and considering her bedroom lights had been off, she hadn’t gotten a good look.

But that had not stopped her from sprinting out of her room with just a purple girl tank top and black panties on. She had run across the living room and quickly knocked on the door to his room. Should she have been more considerate and knocked softer and quieter? Maybe. But her roommate had a bad sleeping habit (those dark circles around his eyes didn’t fool anyone) and she was sure that he was awake.

And after two knocks, he had opened the door and given her his typical look, one of his barely visible eyebrows raised. Not bothering with wasting any time, she had grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her bedroom, not aware that she had been giving him a full view of her ass in her black bikini panties.

Upon seeing her turn on her bedroom lights and point towards her bed, he had quickly figured out what the problem was. And it wasn’t the first time she had him searching and removing little critters.

And here he was, staring at the opened purse on the floor and then back at her. How did it get from her bed to her purse you ask? Well, the moment he had lifted one of her pillows (he wasn’t really sure what he was even looking for), the large insect had quickly ran towards the edge of the bed and fallen on to the floor, prompting his blonde roommate to scream and jump back on the bed, afraid that it would approach her.

“Can’t you get it out? That’s my work purse!” Ino exclaimed.

Sighing lowly, Gaara lifted her purse off the floor and held it with one hand while going through it with his other. Ino groaned, the thought of him just sticking his hand in her purse without care about the critter inside giving her goosebumps.

“Did you get it?”

His hand stopped for a moment before pulling out. Ino’s eyes widened even more as he lifted his hand towards her and slowly opened it, revealing a black almost two-inch roach.

“It’s a palmetto bug. They’re harmless.”

Oh no. She didn’t care what it was and certainly did not care that it was harmless. It.was.a.bug.

“Gaara, kill it!”

“Why?”

“It’s a bug!”

“It doesn’t do anything, Ino.”

“Gaara, get it out of my room!!”

Ino watched the corner of his lips twitch slightly, and she knew that whatever he was planning she wasn’t going to like one bit.

Putting her bag back down, he walked closer to the bed, his arms extending even more as the bug in his hold began to crawl around his hand. Ino screamed again, crawling back on the bed.

“This isn’t funny, get it out of my room!”

“You haven’t said the word.”

The bastard was teasing her and the stupid bug in his hand was at his fingertips, its large antennas moving back and forth.

“Please!!!!”

“And?”

“I’ll do all the dishes for the rest of the week!”

“And?”

“Fine, I’ll take out the trash too!”

Satisfied with her answer, he turned around towards her bedroom window. Unlocking and opening with one hand, he flung the bug outside and closed the window again.

“There, it’s go-”

Gaara flinched slightly as he felt the pillow hit him hard. Turning around, he saw Ino’s angry blue eyes glaring at him.

“How dare you get that thing near me!” she asked, lifting the pillow and aiming to hit him again. Fine, she would do the dishes and take out the trash for the next week. But the bastard almost gave her a heart attack and she did not appreciate that.

But before she was able to hit him, he caught the pillow with his hands and glared back at her.

“You should be grateful I rescued you from something the size of your toe,” he said, pulling the pillow away from her.

Ino Yamanaka was not one to lose. Nope, she did not like to lose. Despite him being a little over half a foot taller than her, he was much stronger than her. Not because he was a boy - but because of the strength training he did every day from five to six (yes, as his roommate, she pretty much knew his schedule) giving him very toned lean muscles.

Smirking, she let go of the pillow before grabbing a second one. Before she was able to swing it at him, he had swung the one in his hand towards her hard, causing her to yelp and fall back on the bed.

“Give it up, Yamanaka.”

“Never!”

Standing on her bed now, Ino threw the pillow at him, watching as he simply turned to his side, causing it to knock over her desk lamp.

Just great.

Not having any more pillow left, Ino quickly skipped to the other side of the bed in order to get off but Gaara caught her ankle and tugged her leg slightly, causing her to fall face down on the bed. Before she was even able to get up, she felt the pillow in his hand smack her butt hard, and that’s when it really dawned on her that she wasn’t wearing any pants.

“Put some pants on.”

Turning around and rearranging her pillows, she stuck her tongue out at him teasingly. “But you like seeing me in my cute little panties.”

Gaara stopped by her doorway and looked at her seriously. “Only when they’re red.”

Ino laughed at his response, watching as he gave her a small smirk.

“I’ll keep that in mind next time I need you to get a bug for me,” she replied while getting under the sheets. Yawning, she gave him a smile. “Goodnight, roomie.”

“Goodnight Ino. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

“....Not funny!”


	2. With Wings

He knew he shouldn’t have asked her, but she was his roommate and there were times she would get him things he needed from the supermarket. It’s not that he didn’t know what pads were, and why she needed them; it’s the fact that he’s currently standing in between two middle-aged nosy women while trying to figure out which of the several brands to get for Ino. 

“Need help?”

Gaara turned around, looking at a short African-American woman with a bright smile. She looked to be around her fifties with a short bob-like hairstyle. 

“No.” he replied, staring back the packages in front of him. 

Sighing, he grabbed two packs and stared at them. 

“Does she prefer with or without wings?”

Gaara looked up as the store clerk was now standing in front of him with her hands behind her back. The two other women near him were looking at him as well, as if waiting to hear his response. 

“I….don’t know…” Gaara replied while examining the two packages again. Why did it matter if the pads had wings or not? He knew that Ino kept her boxes of pads inside the shelf that was underneath their bathroom sink, but he rarely paid attention to the package itself. 

“Well, this one right here with wings will make sure that the pad stays securely in place alongside her panty lines.”

“...”

“And this one right here is without the wings. Basically helps with re-adjusting without much fuss.”

“...”

“Do you know what your girlfriend prefers? Or maybe she prefers tampons?”

He was ready to correct the woman and tell her that Ino wasn’t his girlfriend, but then his cellphone vibrated again. Speak of the devil and her new text message.

_ “Get me some chocolate chip cookies too! The soft baked ones though; not the hard ones.” _

Sighing, Gaara texted back. _ “OK.” _

He paused for a moment and decided to ask her his eminent question. _ “Do you want pads with or without wings? Or do you prefer tampons?” _

“Such a thoughtful young man.” one of the ladies said next to him, causing Gaara to look at her from the corner of his eyes. 

“I wish my Robert had done the same when we were young.” the other lady on his other side said. 

Gaara remained quiet, hoping that the two women and smiling store clerk would go away. But nope, they were still there and Ino hadn’t texted him back. Blocking out the chatter around him, he decided to call his roommate up.

“ _ Yes?” _

“Wings or no wings?”

_ “I didn’t ask for chicken, Gaara. Cookies!” _

He groaned and closed his eyes.  _ “I meant the pads. Or tampons…” _

Ino laughed at the other end.  _ “Well, aren’t you thoughtful! Pads and with wings.” _

He disconnected the call and grabbed the necessary package, quickly making his way away from the gawking women. After grabbing a box of chocolate chip cookies, he made his way to the cashier. 

The supermarket was near closing time, which had caused all registers to be closed except for one. With a box of chocolate chip cookies, sanitary napkins, and his protein powder in hand he ignored the smiles other middle-aged women were giving him. Wearing his gym outfit, gray men’s gym pants with a white t-shirt, he stood between two other men on the line. The cashier was an elderly man and the moment it was Gaara’s turn in the checkout line, the man gave a small chuckle. 

“The girlfriend got you buying her monthly supplies?” the man asked while scanning the items. 

Gaara didn’t respond as he took out his credit card and waited for the man to finish scanning the three items. He purposely chose not to reply, hoping that it would cause the subject to go away. Unfortunately, middle-aged men were as bad as the three women from before and suddenly, the man standing behind him began to speak. 

“That’s nothing. My dear Erica would make me go out at midnight to get her ice cream during her periods. Chocolate mint specifically.”

Gaara thought about the statement for a while. Women craved that much during their monthly cycles? Shaking his head, he inserted his credit card into the machine and watched as a receipt began to print out. A few seconds later, he pulled out his card and grabbed his items, walking away quickly before anyone else made a comment. 

* * *

Ino wiped a tear away, her head leaning against the armrest of the couch. The living room was dark, the only lighting coming from the fifty-five inch TV hanging from the wall a few feet from her. Wearing silver sweatpants and a black t-shirt, she hugged the comfortable blanket to her chest as she watched Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack Dawson save Rose.

The sound of keys inserted into the doorknob was heard before the door to the apartment opened and closed. 

Turning her head to the side, Ino watched as her roommate walked into the living room and placed her chocolate chip cookies and sanitary napkins on the coffee table before sitting at the end of the couch by her feet. 

Grabbing the cookies, Ino muttered a thanks and began to eat. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Gaara looked at the TV and narrowed his eyes slightly.

“You’re watching this again?”

“Yes.”

“...And you’re going to eat all of those cookies?”

“Yes.”

“They’re filled with sugar, Ino. I thought you wanted to start eating healthy.”

“Gaara, I’m on my period. So by default, it’s cheat week.” Ino replied, chewing on her fifth cookie. Her stomach hummed in harmony after every bite.

The young man didn’t say anything as he looked at the screen again, watching the scene of Jack slowly freeze to death as the character Rose stayed afloat on the piece of wood. He heard sniffing coming from his right and eyed his roommate from the corner of his eyes. 

  
“Why are you crying? You know he dies.”

“I know, but he’s so cute!”

“This movie is ridiculous…”

“Don’t hate just because you aren’t as cute as my Leonardo DiCaprio.”

“I don’t care if I’m not as cute as him. He could have easily survived had she moved over and given him space on the raft.”

Ino frowned and threw one of the cushions at him. “He was being a gentleman and thinking about her.”

Gaara didn’t reply as he continued to watch the movie, seeing the scene now show an aged Rose telling the story of that night to some younger audience. The movie always confused him, and Ino watching it every month every time she had her monthly cycle didn’t help. He would come home and see the same scenes over and over and never grasp how the two characters had fallen in love so quickly. He had assumed that love always took time to manifest between two individuals, but the movie made it look easy. Was falling in love that easy?

Once the movie ended and the credits began to show, Ino turned off the television and yawned. 

“I want more chocolate…”

Gaara looked at her and saw that she had shifted her position in order to look at him better. Oh, he knew that look…

“I’m not going back out.”

“But don’t you usually hang out with Naruto during this time?”

“Not all the time, and definitely not today. He’s on a date with Hinata.”

“Seems like everyone’s dating someone…”

Gaara silently agreed. But it was no surprise, really. They were all at least 21 and fresh out of college with prospering new careers. The days of studying in the dormitory for long hours was gone, thus allowing them time for actual relationships. Seeing his brother and best friend spend more time with female companions has started to make him wonder if he would be next. Aside from his sister Temari, the only other female he knew well was Ino. And although annoying yet gorgeous and nice, she was his roommate. 

Eyeing the girl in thought, he saw how she dozed off to sleep, the comforter she had brought out almost sliding onto the floor. He wasn’t surprised that she had dozed off so quickly. She was a nurse at the busiest hospital in the city and her shifted always started no later than five in the morning. Sometimes, he would come home from work and find her face down on the sofa with her nurse scrubs still on. 

Grabbing the comforter, he readjusted it over her and quietly walked towards his room, telling himself that yes, she was just his roommate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment. And hopefully all of you have watched the movie Titanic before :)


	3. Shots

“Naruto, you’re cheating.”

The blonde young man froze and looked away from Hinata’s cards in order to give Kiba a glare. 

“It’s not cheating if Hinata and I are dating,” he replied with a pout, turning his cards so the shy girl next to him could see what type of cards he had. 

“It doesn’t matter if you are dating, both of you are cheating,” Ino stated matter-of-factly, refilling her glass with more of Sakura’s sangria drink. 

It was a Friday night and after a long day at the hospital, she and Sakura had organized a friend’s night out at her apartment. While Sakura made some sangria, Ino organized her living room as Kiba, Naruto, Hinata, and Chouji sat around the coffee table playing poker. And by the looks of it, she knew that Naruto was losing miserably. Every once in awhile, he would lean towards his shy girlfriend and look at her cards. To make the situation even more interesting, Hinata would encourage the cheating and occasionally switch cards with him. 

“Got any more of these potato chips?” asked Chouji, more interested in the food than in the fact that he was losing money. 

Ino shook her head. “Chouji, you ate my last bag!”

The chubby young man frowned. “Does Gaara have any?”

“He doesn’t eat anything that’s considered unhealthy.”

“You’re saying that all of this ice cream is yours?” Sakura asked, pointing at a large tube of chocolate strawberry and vanilla ice cream. 

Ino crossed her arms in front of her chest. “It’s there for when I’m craving.”

“Wait, you had ice cream and didn’t tell me?” Chouji asked, getting up from the floor and stomping towards the kitchen. 

Staring at the freezer, he smiled and grabbed the large tube out. “And it’s my favorite brand! Give me a spoon, woman!”

Ino glared at him while handing him the utensil. “Only eat half!” 

The man pretended to listen to her as he walked back to the living room, ignoring the fact that Kiba had won the third round of poker and taken all of his money. 

“Should I save some for Gaara?” Sakura asked while pouring sangria in another glass cup.

Ino shook her head. “Nah, roomie doesn’t drink.”

“Really? Temari and Kankuro drink like no tomorrow.”

Ino nodded. Kankuro, Gaara’s older brother, loved to chug a beer whenever he had the opportunity. The man was nice and charming, but Ino knew that deep down he had a crush on her. She remembered the first time she and Gaara had moved into the 2-bedroom apartment. While unpacking her belongings in her bedroom, she had overheard Kankuro telling Gaara how lucky he was to have a hot roommate and if she was single. Ever since that day, she would keep an eye out on the brown-haired man as he would purposely be near her whenever given the chance. 

“I know, but Gaara can be a health freak,” Ino said, comparing the items he would purchase versus what she would purchase. 

“Speaking of Gaara, where is he? And how is he as a roommate? I heard...stories…”

“Probably at the gym, as usual. And what ya’ mean by that?” Ino asked, taking a sip of her sangria. 

Sakura glanced back at the living room, ensuring that the rest of the guests were still playing their games and not listening to their conversation. Swiftly, she walked by her friend’s side and began to whisper. 

“Naruto told me something a while ago...about Gaara.”

“Aha?”

“Well...he...told me that Gaara was actually in the car when his mom died.”

Ino’s eyes widened at the fact. She had known the red-headed man since college and had been aware that he had lost his mother in a car accident many years ago. But the fact that he was in the car during the accident broke her heart. 

“I never knew that.”

“Neither did I. But Gaara was only five or six when that happened. He was strapped in the backseat and crying for his mom to wake up...but…”

“She was dead,” Ino finished saying. She felt a strong pressure in her chest. 

“Yeah, and that’s what caused him to stop sleeping and have insomnia. Apparently, he took a lot of pills and saw multiple therapists. He had quite an anger problem as a teenager.”

The person Sakura was describing didn’t match the calm and collected person she shared the apartment with. But then again, she never asked Gaara about his past. All she knew was that he had two siblings and had studied computer science in the same university that she attended. Maybe the tattoo on his forehead was due to witnessing his mother’s death at such a young age?

Before she could ask anything, she heard the doorknob turn and turned around in time to see Gaara and Kankuro walk inside. She wasn’t surprised that both of them wore gym outfits. 

Still thinking about what Sakura had just told her, Ino couldn’t help but stare at her roommate with a sad look. She had always thought that Gaara was just a quiet and introverted guy; someone who didn’t really mess with any drama and kept to himself. But Gaara having anger issues as a teenager? She had to see it to believe it. 

“Is there a reason why you’re staring at me?”

Ino blinked several times before giving him a smile and lifting her glass up. “Want some sangria?”

“You know I don’t drink,” Gaara replied casually, and she wasn’t surprised by his response at all. However, she was caught staring at him and didn’t know what else to say. 

Giving him a cheeky smile and a shrug, Ino turned around and joined Sakura by their small sangria-making station. The pink haired girl eyed her from the corner of eyes before stirring the content inside the large pitcher. 

The night continued with more games as Sakura’s boyfriend, Sasuke, arrived. Pop music was played from the large television while the group of friends changed their game from poker to monopoly. As the group drank and played, while keeping an eye out on Hinata and Naruto’s cheating ways, Kankuro looked at Gaara’s bedroom door before eyeing the blonde long-haired roommate of his. With his brother currently inside his room changing, Kankuro walked over to his brother’s roommate, watching as she texted someone. 

“Considering my brother doesn’t do decorations, I am assuming this was you.” Kankuro said while eyeing a few of the small flower vases by the window.

Looking up at him and then at her small collection of different flowers, Ino smiled as she placed her smartphone in her jean’s pocket. 

“Yup! ‘Been collecting them since little! My parents actually own a small flower shop in the city.”

Kankuro nodded, looking around one more time to ensure the red-head was nowhere nearby before asking his next question. “So, how’s it like living with my brother?”

Ino looked up at him and furrowed her eyebrows confusingly. “Awesome, actually. I don’t have to worry about living with petty girls.” She remembered her college roommate, Victoria, and shuddered. The girl was annoying, loud, and a mess. 

“Surprised you’re not living with Sakura,” Kankuro said. 

“She may be my best friend, but I prefer to live with someone I’m not that close to. Besides, she’s living with Sasuke. I don’t want to be there for when they do their kinky shit.”

Kankuro laughed out loud, causing everyone in the vicinity to look at him strangely. Ignoring everyone’s stare, he looked back down at her. “And how do you know about their kinky shit?”

Ino rolled her eyes while smiling. “Let’s just say that I had the fortune of sleeping over their place one night I had too many drinks…” 

Kankuro laughed again. “Still surprised you’re okay with living with my brother.”

Ino raised an eyebrow and tapped her chin with her index finger while staring up at the ceiling. “Well, he’s quiet, respectful, reminds me of the bills, removes bugs when needed, and buys me what I need when I’m on my period.”

Kankuro was speechless as he thought about what she just said. What was strange was how she said it; as if Gaara was just some regular cool dude. But he knew his brother well - the short-tempered teenage boy who once punched Rock Lee in the face in high school. Kankuro knew that his brother’s visits to therapists years ago had helped. In addition, going to the gym had helped Gaara relieve some tension. Gaara had gone from a skinny short-tempered kid to a quiet lean-muscled young man. 

The door opened and out came a freshly-dressed Gaara. Wearing black jeans and a white t-shirt, he walked quietly towards an empty spot on the sofa and sat down, watching as Naruto pulled another game out: jenga. The blonde-haired man looked up and smirked at his friend. 

“You gotta play this time, Gaara.”

“But the rules are different,” Sakura chimned in while taking out several shot glasses and a large bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila. “Whoever causes the blocks to fall has to take a shot!”

“Hinata can’t drink so I’ll take a shot for her,” Naruto said, causing his shy girlfriend to smile at him. 

As Sakura set up the game on the coffee table, everyone else sat around; Chouji, Kankuro, Naruto, Ino and Kiba on the floor while Gaara, Hinata, and Sakura sat on the three-person couch and Sasuke sat on a chair. 

Sakura assembled the Jenga blocks before looking at Sasuke and giving him a wink. “You’re first!”

The young man grabbed a block from the fourth row and moved it on top, smiling while watching the tower standstill. After his turn, the order went as follows: Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Chouji, Kankuro, Naruto, Kiba, and Gaara. 

The first round went without incident, and Gaara knew that being last had its consequences. Just as he was about to place the rectangular piece on top, the whole tower collapsed, causing everyone around him to laugh. His facial expression remained neutral as Sakura grabbed a shot glass.

“Looks like it’s time for Gaara to take a shot!”

“I don’t drink,” the male replied casually. 

“C’mon Gaara, just one shot! Do it for me!” Naruto pouted, causing his red-haired friend to look at him indifferently from the corner of his eyes. 

“No.”

“Come on, baby bro! It’s just one shot.” Kankuro chimed in.

Gaara narrowed his eyes towards his brother, and before he was able to say no for a second time, his chirpy roommate grabbed the shot glass from Sakura.

“I’ll drink it on his behalf!”

Gaara watched as his roommate downed the liquid and then gave him a cheeky grin. “Don’t worry Roomie! I got you covered!”

_Two hours later…_

Ino, wholeheartedly, regretted taking shots on behalf of Gaara every time he lost. Because right now, he was the worst player in jenga and she was drunk because of it. Part of her wondered if he was doing it on purpose, maybe as payback for that one time she woke him up with her loud music. Or maybe because of that one time she took longer than usual in the bathroom?

Regardless, it didn’t matter because she was drunk and she knew when she was drunk. 

“Gaara, you need to stop losing. Ino’s already drunk.” Naruto said with a smile, watching as Ino giggled non stop at...absolutely nothing. 

The red-haired man said nothing as he looked at his roommate and sure enough, she was drunk. He watched as the girl stood up on trembling legs, earning a laugh from a tipsy Sakura. 

“Haha, Ino-pig can’t stand! She’s drunk!”

“Sh-Shut it, Forehead! The floor is uncomfortable, I want to sit on the couch.”

Her mind wasn’t really working properly, really. Ino could feel her brain going in circles and her legs felt light. Eyeing the couch with determination, Ino drunkenly walked towards it, aiming to push Sakura off the spot. But of course, with Sakura being as drunk as her, the pink haired girl moved back, causing Ino to miss completely and almost crash on top of her roommate. Luckily for her, her roommate was able to hold her still by grabbing her arm. 

Ino knew that such a thing would probably be seen as weird around their friends, considering they were just roommates. But hey, she was drunk because of him (and there was no where else to sit but the floor). Had she known that he would lose so much, she wouldn’t have offered to take shots on his behalf. So, therefore, who cares if she was having thoughts of sitting on his lap. And that’s what Ino Yamanaka did. 

Not caring who judged her, the blonde girl took a step towards her roommate, not paying mind at the fact that his hand was still holding her arm, and sat down comfortably on his lap. And luckily for her, Gaara didn’t react at all. Instead, he let go of her arm and sat still, as if nothing unusual was going on. 

Sakura eyed blonde-haired friend and smirked, reminding herself to tease her later about it. 

The game continued on, with Ino turning around and telling Gaara that he sucked at playing. And to her amusement, her roommate did nothing but give her a slight smile in response. Nonetheless, the two didn’t notice the slight looks Kankuro gave them. 

_One hour later…_

“C’mon, Naruto.” said a calm Sasuke while placing his friend’s arm over his shoulder. 

The drunk blond man mumbled something while placing a shaking hand on the front door. Behind them stood a nervous Hinata as she watched her boyfriend lean on Sasuke for support. Turning around to Sakura, she gave her pink-haired a friendly smile. 

“Thank you so much for taking us home.”

“No trouble at all! Besides, Naruto can barely walk in his condition. He is going to have a nasty hangover tomorrow morning.”

Hinata nodded in agreement, turning to quickly glance at Naruto as he almost crashed onto the wall if it wasn’t for Sasuke. Hearing female giggles coming from the living room, Hinata turned to her friend again.

“Do you think Ino will be OK?”

Smirking, Sakura turned around and looked at her blonde friend. “Considering she’s sitting so comfortably in Gaara’s lap, oh I think she is very OK.”

Sakura couldn’t wait until Ino sobered up to tease her. She knew that her friend was flirtatious, especially when drunk. But this was the first time she had seen the girl sit on a guy’s lap. And not just any lap - but Gaara’s lap of course. And to top everything up, the red-haired man didn’t do anything and let her sit there. 

“Sakura, ready to go?” asked Sasuke while trying to ensure that Naruto didn’t collapse on the floor. 

“Just one sec! I need to take a picture of this.” Taking her phone out, Sakura focused the camera on the two roommates and snapped several pictures, grinning while watching as neither Gaara or drunk Ino paid any attention. She then placed her phone back in her purse and giggled as Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

“I needed proof of this!”

The man shook his head and helped Naruto walk outside of the apartment. 

The group said their goodbyes; Chouji taking advantage at the fact that Ino was too drunk to notice him taking her cube of ice cream home. Kiba, who was slightly tipsy as well, said his goodbyes as well and hopped inside Sasuke’s car as well. Chouji, who declared that he was too big to get drunk and didn’t need a cab, drove off as well. 

Sighing, Kankuro closed the door and walked back to the living room, watching as Gaara threw a blanket over the sleeping drunk blonde before turning the lights off and walking towards the kitchen. 

“Yes, Kankuro?” Gaara asked while taking out a large bottle of Gatorade. 

“Your roommate…”

“What about her?”

“...Are you two secretly hooking up?”

Gaara looked at him while crossing his arms. “And what gave you that impression?”

Out of the three of them, Kankuro knew that Gaara was the smartest. While Temari studied to become a teacher and he studied mechanical engineering, Gaara got a full ride to their state university for computer science and landed himself a full-time job in one top IT companies in the country. In short, his brother was a genius despite his troubling past. Nonetheless, when it came to women, Gaara was oblivious to the point that it made Kankuro always roll his eyes at him. 

“She sat on your lap…”

“She was drunk.”

“Screw that, Gaara! She sat on your lap! Chicks don’t just sit on a guy’s lap unless they want something!”

Gaara didn’t say anything, yet deep down he knew perfectly well that friends didn’t just sit on each other’s laps. He was well aware that Ino was flirtatious, thus not allowing her little action to be on his mind too much. However, that didn’t mean that he didn’t like the feeling of her sitting on-

Gaara shook his head and sighed deeply. She was his roommate and that’s just who Ino was. 

“I’m going to bed,”

“Wait, where am I sleeping?”

The red-head stopped and stared at his sleeping roommate, who was lying comfortably on the couch. He had forgotten that Kankuro was too tipsy to drive back and had wanted the crash on the couch. 

“Are you OK with the floor?”

Kankuro groaned. “No, it looks uncomfortable! Why can’t you just wake her up and tell her to go to her room?”

“...Because she doesn’t like people interrupting her sleep.” Gaara replied, remembering the time their next-door neighbor had started blasting music at six am on a Saturday morning, causing a very pissed off Ino to stomp outside the apartment and bang on his apartment door. It had taken hours after that for her to calm down… 

“Then let’s carry her to her room!” Kankuro said while walking over to the sleeping girl. “Open the door for me so I can just get her to her bed.”

“She may wake up,”

“I’ll be gentle, don’t worry.”

Sighing, Gaara opened the door to Ino’s room and watched as Kankuro removed the blanket off her and then picked her up carefully. Kankuro then turned and slowly walked towards the dark bedroom, Ino’s head resting comfortably on the man’s arm. Hm, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after-

_Thud!_

Gaara’s eyes widened slightly, watching as Ino’s head hit the side of her door as Kankuro took a step inside the bedroom. Immediately, Ino’s eyes opened wide as she turned her head towards the person carrying her. 

“Kankuro...what...the...hell….”

“S-Sorry, I just wanted the couch and you were sleeping on it!”

Wiggling out of his arms, the blonde girl glared at him before stomping inside her room and shutting the door loudly on his face. 

After a few seconds of silence, Kankuro let out a long sigh before noticing the slightly amused look Gaara was giving him.

“Told you she doesn’t like her sleep to be interrupted.”

“Whatever, at least I got the couch!”


	4. Marylin

Her bed was too comfortable; more comfortable than usual. She loved sleeping in on Saturday mornings, especially after a night of drinking. It had been a while since she had hung out with the majority of her friends, especially after college. Sometimes, it was strange seeing them all hanging out after a full day of work and not while studying for a midterm exam. However, it felt nice seeing everyone enjoying themselves and not have to worry about school anymore-

Ino’s eyes opened at the sound of her ringtone. And it wasn’t just her regular ringtone. Oh no. She had a specific ringtone for whenever Doctor Tsunade, aka her boss, would call her. The specific ringtone would give her a heads up whenever the strong-headed woman called her.

Lifting her head up, Ino grabbed her phone and looked at the time: six in the morning…

Swiping her phone to the right while clearing her throat, she had no chance to greet her boss before the woman’s overbearing voice was heard. 

“Ino, I need you at the hospital asap!”

“Wh-What’s the issue-”

“Just get here! I need people!”

Rubbing her eyes a couple of times as her boss disconnected the call, she quickly got off the bed and groaned as her head quickly swirled in circles. Damn hangover. Ignoring the impending headache, she quickly changed her clothes into a regular black t-shirt and blue jeans. 

Working with her for over eight months now gave Ino the ability to distinguish the different tones of Tsunade’s voice. There was the simply Tsunade tone, which the woman used only twenty percent of the time. Then there was the overly strict Tsunade tone, which was sixty-five percent of the time. And finally, there was the under-pressure super strict panicking Tsunade tone, which was fifteen percent of time. And right now, as of six-fifteen in the morning, Tsunade’s tone was definitely in that fifteen percentile.

Once her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, Ino opened her bedroom door and jogged towards the bathroom, ignoring the loud snoring coming from Kankuro’s mouth. She remembered how he had bumped her head against the doorframe while carrying her to her bedroom. Placing the toothpaste on her toothbrush and quickly brushing her teeth, Ino stepped out of the bathroom and glared at the sleeping man. Part of her wanted to whack him over his head while he laid there, face down, on the sofa. However, Tsunade’s voice was still in her head and she knew that she had to get to the hospital as soon as possible. 

Ino spat the toothpaste out and washed her face, quickly grabbing her phone and small purse and running out of the apartment.

* * *

_“So far, two-hundred and three passengers are still unaccounted for.”_

_“According to several eyewitnesses, one of the wings scraped against the runway before the crash.”_

_“One eyewitness, who was standing on the east side of the airport, said that he noticed smoke coming out from one of the engines shortly before the plane took off.”_

_“As you can see here, the National Aviation Safety Administration is already on the scene while firefighters are still trying to put out the fire.”_

_“Twenty survivors, including three crew members, have been taken to Grace Mary’s hospital for severe burns. Almost all of them are in critical condition.”_

Ino navigated through the crowded hospital lobby as the multiple televisions hanging around the large area showed different news stations reporting the incident. Her eyes scanned around the area, watching as family members bombarded the four front-desk receptionists with questions. 

Reaching the locker room, Ino quickly changed into her blue nurse scrubs before running back out. 

“Ino, I need your help here!”

“What’s happening?” she asked Shizune. 

“An airplane crashed. Don’t know much about the details. They are bringing everyone here!”

That was all Ino needed to know in order to understand that the incoming patients would have burn and physical wounds while also possibly smoke inhalation. Putting on rubber gloves, the blonde quickly began helping her colleague with tending one of the first survivors of the crash. The woman, who happened to be in her late seventies, had severe burns on the majority of her body and was semi-conscious. 

The wide doors opened again and in came Sakura with a large coffee in her hand. Pink hair tied in a low bun, the young woman helped Dr. Tsunade with a screaming patient, whose whole right arm was bruised and bent in odd angles. 

The following five hours afterward were the most challenging for the blue-eyed woman. Throughout the middle of it, Ino pulled her long hair into a high bun. The inflow of victims brought to the hospital immediately caused nurses and doctors to treat multiple patients at the same time. What made the job more challenging were family members physically trying to break into the E.R. just to know whether their loved ones were part of the deceased count or not. Police officers soon had to keep those back and threaten them with arrest. Most family members quickly remained calm in the lobby, but not one man whose shouts disturbed the patients more than help. 

The man refused to bring his injured daughter via an ambulance, citing that there was too much traffic since multiple local and national news vans were spread throughout the city. Instead, he had taken his badly bruised daughter off the ambulance near the airport and driven himself to the hospital. 

“I need a fucking doctor, _now_!!!!” the man had yelled to the front-desk receptionist. 

Before the timid middle-aged woman could respond, her brown eyes watching the angry man in front of her, Ino quickly jogged towards them with a gurney. 

“Sir, please place her here!”

“Are you a doctor?”

“No, but I’m a nurse-”

“I said I need a fucking doctor!”

“I’m qualified for this!” Ino screamed back. “And if you don’t hurry up and let me treat your daughter, she will die!”

Ino didn’t want to say such things in front of the little girl, whose blue eyes were wide in fear and shock as she laid weakly in her father’s arms. The man’s frown deepened, a growl coming out from him before he obeyed and gently placed his daughter on the gurney. Afterward, Ino and an assistant nurse began pulling the gurney towards an operating room. 

She shouldn’t have been surprised, really, considering the man’s terrible attitude. But Ino mentally cursed once they reached the doors that lead towards the operating room. Sighing, she turned around and faced the father, who stood a good five inches taller than her. 

“Sir, you cannot enter. You can wait in the lobby and I will let you know once-”

“The HELL I’ll be waiting outside! I don’t trust you doctors and nurses! How do I know that my daughter will be getting the best care?!”

“Sir, you need to trust us that-”

“Fuck you!” the man shoved Ino to the side and opened the doors to the operating room. He was quickly met with a very angry Tsunade, who had no issue pushing the man back into the hallway. 

“Stay in the lobby before I have police arrest you for touching one of my nurses!” 

The man let out an angry breath, eyes traveling from Tsunade to Ino before finally walking backward. “I want a status in thirty minutes.”

“We don’t report to you. Now go wait with the other family members before I have you arrested!”

The man didn’t say anything as he finally walked back to the lobby, shoving sobbing family members with his shoulder who happened to be in his way.   
“Ino, come help me with her. I just got word that ten more passengers were found, alive, but severely burned. They should be arriving in another ten minutes.”

“Can Shizune and Sakura handle them?”

“Unfortunately, not. They are currently treating a man that has a piece of metal going through part of his head. We suspect it must be one of the propellers since he was sitting right above the wing.”

For the next half hour, the two blondes worked on the seven-year-old girl, who miraculously had remained conscious from the moment the plane fell back onto the Earth. Marylin, her name was, had told them how everyone began screaming once they felt the aircraft descending back down. As Tsunade, Ino, and the nurse assistant removed the girl’s ripped clothes and tended her burned body, Marylin continued talking, which amazed them considering how badly injured she was. The girl talked about how her parents had divorced a year ago, and she was on the flight to see her mother. A family member, who passed away on impact, had been sitting next to her. 

“Are you in pain?” Ino asked a third time, smiling at the little blonde girl.

“No, but I feel sleepy. The flight was too early.”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost done here.”

Most of the burned tissue was scraped off, including parts of the small girl’s head. Bandages were then wrapped around the girl, who was now asleep thanks to the medication. 

_Three hours later…_

The remaining passengers and crew members on flight A239 were finally brought to the hospital, and unfortunately, most of them had passed away before even reaching the building. The lobby was now filled with crying family members, demanding why and how such a horrendous accident even happened. A fourth of the original passengers brought into the hospital passed away as well, burns in their bodies having affected vital organs. 

It was approximately three in the afternoon, and Ino was exhausted. A few of the passengers who were still alive had been placed in a medically induced coma. Tired doctors and nurses sat on the floor of the hallway, talking to each other about how the number of casualties would have been less had the aircraft had less fuel. Since the plane had crashed just minutes after taking off, the large amount of fuel had helped spark the fire near the engines instantaneously. 

Doctors and nurses from other clinics and private practices began volunteering at the hospital, allowing Ino a chance to rest while they continued to check on patients. Thinking about the little girl, Marylin, Ino entered the room and smiled as the small human being was still asleep. Some intuition told her to stay in the room, and paying attention to it, Ino grabbed an empty chair and sat beside the sleeping little girl. It was the first time in eight hours that she sat, and upon sitting, a welcoming sign escaped her. She was glad that the crazy father was still in the lobby with one officer watching him closely in case the man decided to barge through the doors again. 

Pulling out her phone for the first time in the day, Ino noticed an unread text message from her roommate. He had sent her the text seven hours ago… 

_ “I read that a plane crashed this morning after takeoff and everyone is being sent to the hospital.” _

Sitting cross-legged, Ino began texting back. _“Yeah, it was a hectic day today. My feet are killing me… I am sitting down right now for the first time today. And I am regretting taking shots for you last night… lol.”_

_“I’ll make you dinner for that.” _ Came the reply, which made Ino smile. 

_ “Deal. And no beef tongue please!” _

_ “...Fine….” _

“Are you texting your boyfriend?”

Ino jumped in her chair, placing a hand on her chest before looking down at the little girl, who was now wide awake. The girl continued staring at the screen of her phone. 

“No, he’s my roommate.”

“You live with a boy?!” the girl asked, her blue eyes widening. “My dad would never let me live with a boy. He once yelled at my friend, Lucas, for grabbing my hand at the park.”

Ino giggled, already imagining the short-tempered man yelling at some little boy. “Yes, I live with a boy. It’s actually not bad living with one. He’s very nice.”

“What is his name?” 

“Gaara.”

“Do you have a picture of him?”

Ino went to her phone’s gallery and frowned. Damn, she didn’t have that many pictures of him. Gaara wasn’t really the picture-taking type-

“Oh, that’s right!” Ino suddenly remembered taking a picture of him, when he wasn’t looking of course, and sending it to her mother. The woman had been too busy getting a manicure the day Ino had to move into her apartment. She had called her non-stop for a picture of the boy. And while Gaara had been setting up the couch, she snatched a quick picture. 

“Here, this is him.” Ino placed the phone in front of her so the little girl wouldn’t have to move too much. 

Marylin’s eyes sparkled as a girlish giggle escaped her. “He’s...cute...and... hot!”

Ino giggled at the little girl’s response. Even though they were just roommates, Ino couldn’t deny that Gaara was good looking… heck, Marylin was right. He was hot. 

“Does he have a girlfriend?”

“Nah, he doesn’t.”

  
“Then why aren’t you two together?”

“He’s my roommate...and a friend…”

“So?”

“So...it’ll be awkward…”

“My mommy says that if you like someone, you should tell them. She told me that it’s something she realized too late…”

Ino didn’t blame the woman for leaving Marylin’s father. The man was so overprotective that he could become abusive. 

The two continued speaking, mostly about Gaara and Ino found it adorable that a little girl was so intrigued with the quiet young man. She asked many questions: what was his favorite show, did he have a little sister, and if he had a car.

It was eight in the evening, and Ino was already on her way home. The city was quiet as people began placing small vigils around for the passengers who did not make it. There was barely any traffic as most decided to stay home, and this allowed the bus Ino was on to reach her designated bus stop faster. 

With her phone at zero percent and her keys being forgotten inside the apartment, Ino knocked on the door, hoping that Gaara wouldn’t be inside his bedroom doing...whatever he does. Luckily for her, the red-haired young man opened the door a minute later.   
“...I forgot my keys inside.”

“I figured.”

Ino smiled as she walked inside, quickly smelling steak sizzling on the pan. Immediately, her stomach growled, causing Gaara to look at her with the corner of his mouth lifted.

“Don’t laugh, it’s been a long day and I haven’t had anything.”

“Go shower, food will be ready by the time you’re done.”

“Do I look that bad-Don’t answer!”

Gaara chuckled lowly as Ino put her phone to charge and ran into the bathroom for a long, warm shower. The shower helped with removing the sweat and tension off her body, and fifteen minutes later, she was out of the shower and freshly dressed in her pajamas: gray tank top with black shorts. 

The two began to eat their dinner while Ino played the latest news coverage on her phone. According to the news anchor, it would take several weeks of investigation to truly determine what caused the plane to crash. A lot of different opinions have flown around already: from engine blowing up, part of the wing hitting the ground while taking off, to the pilots being drunk. In the end, most of the passengers and crew lost their lives and the accident marked one of the deadliest accidents to happen within the last twenty years. 

“I guess you didn’t have time to eat today,” Gaara said, watching as Ino was close to finishing her dinner before he was.

“Nope,” she replied in between bites, “Patients kept arriving, or their family members would pass out and we would need to tend them as well.”

Gaara gave her props for working hard, especially on a day where she was supposed to be free. Socializing was something he wasn’t good at, and working at a hospital was something he could never imagine himself doing. In summary, he preferred to stay away from any spotlight and people. 

“It was hectic.,” Ino said, taking a sip of water.

“I can imagine.”

“I did get to treat a really sweet patient though. Her father has terrible anger issues though. He freaking shoved me against the wall.”

Gaara’s eyes narrowed. “Did you push him back Ino-style?”

At the term, Ino laughed while placing their dirty dishes inside the dishwasher. “Ha, I wish. But I had to remain civil…”

“Hm, point him out to me next time…” Gaara said, causing her to smile. Although he wasn’t a violent person, she knew that Gaara was no pushover. 

“His daughter, Marylin, is super sweet though. For someone so young, she’s pretty mature… And she also thinks you’re hot.”

“How does she even know how I look like?”

“I….showed her a picture of you…”

“...You have a picture of me?”

“My mom wanted one the day we moved on. So I took one...while you were assembling the couch.”

“...I see… So it’s only fair that I take a picture of you for whenever my coworkers ask me to describe you.”

“Wait, your coworkers ask about me?”

“They are amazed at the idea of me living with a blond young woman from the city.”

“...Are any of them cute...and single?”

“No, and no I am not going to ask them for you.”

“Fine… You can take the picture for the next time they ask, but I need to be prepared-HEY!”

Ino jumped as she saw the flash from Gaara’s phone. “Gaara, I wasn’t ready.”

“I’m pretty sure I wasn’t ready the time you took my picture.”

“Ugh, fair. But let me see….”

After turning on the dishwasher, Ino walked over to her roommate and frowned. “That is a terrible picture! I haven’t combed my hair, you can see that one blackhead on the side of my mouth and… and I’m wearing a spaghetti strap tank top with no bra and booty shorts! Gaara, delete that!”

“...No.”

“Yes! It’s too revealing!”

“You know that I have seen you in far less, Yamanaka.”

“...Well...you...you’re my roommate… and I like to be comfortable when I’m home. At least take a better one.”

“...Hm, my phone battery just died.”

“...Liar! You always keep your phone charged!”

Before the two continued their bantering, Ino’s phone rang and her heart sank at the familiar ringtone. It was Dr. Tsunade. Sighing, she swiped towards the right and placed the phone by her ear.

“Good evening, Dr. Tsunade.”

“Good evening, Ino. How are you doing?”

“I’m good, just getting ready to go to bed. It was a long day today.” It was a lie. What she really wanted to do next was snatch Gaara’s phone and delete that picture. And then watch some TV of course. 

“That’s good. I’m sorry to be calling you this late but I have unfortunate news for you. Marylin Smith passed away fifteen minutes ago.”

Ino’s eyes widened, her fingers suddenly shaking. “Wh-What? B-But she was just a kid! What happened!?”

“I’m not sure what happened. One of the volunteer nurses reported it. The father wants to have a doctor not associated with the hospital to perform the autopsy.”

She shouldn’t have been surprised, really, considering the man’s terrible attitude. But having some private doctor perform the autopsy could lead to some forms of malpractice, and the last thing Ino wanted was the hospital being in some long legal drama with that man. 

“Anyway, I figured that you should be aware and I will see you on Monday. Get some rest, Ino.”

The call disconnected and Ino stared at the floor of the kitchen with wide eyes. Before leaving the hospital, Ino had checked up on the little girl to make sure that she was indeed improving… How could she have died? Even though she had suffered terrible burn wounds, the girl barely cried in pain and was conscious from the moment she was rescued. 

“What’s wrong?”

“...The little girl...she...died…”

One of the things Ino focused on the moment she became a nurse was to not get attached to patients. Sometimes, things happened and within the next moment, a patient would be gone. Nonetheless, everyone in the medical field needed their heads focused on the patients who still needed them. However, she remembered Marylin’s big blue eyes and how she was curious about so many things. How she had wanted to become a pilot when she grew up. The airplane crash had not swayed her opinion at all. 

“You’re crying.”

“Huh?” Ino wiped a tear with the back of her hand. “Sorry… I...didn’t know… that… I just can’t believe it…”

Ino knew why the little girl’s death affected her so much. Marylin reminded her so much of herself when she was younger. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and divorced parents. Those around her always told her that her mind was too advanced for someone her age. 

“She was doing well before I left.” Ino took a deep breath, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. “I… I even checked up on her myself.”

Did she miss something? No, she couldn’t have. She always double-checked everything and noted it all down. Even on busy days, she still ensured that everything was correct. But today was a different type of busy… No, even with today’s craziness, she still made sure to document everything.

“...H-How could she have died? It-It’s not f-fair…”

She tried her best to wipe the tears away, but they wouldn’t stop. And damn she didn’t want to cry in front of her roommate. “S-Sorry, I didn’t m-mean to c-cry in front of you like this. I-I must look like shit now…”

His firm hand on her shoulder startled her, causing her to turn her body around towards him. Avoiding any type of eye contact, she took a step further as Gaara’s right arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her body right against his. This was something that she never imagined Gaara, more of a roommate than a friend, to do. Yes, he would cook dinner for them, get rid of the bugs in her room, and assemble her furniture… But consolidating? This was new, and instead of stopping her tears, it caused more to continue.

“I have asked myself the same question…” he said. 

Ino didn’t reply, at first confused at what he meant but then remembering what Sakura had told her: how he had lost his mother at a young age and that caused him to become violent while growing up as a teenager. And with that, she cried for the little girl who passed away today and the little red-haired boy who lost his mother many years ago. 


	5. The past - Move In Day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING - THIS CHAPTER TAKES PLACE IN THE PAST!
> 
> Happy Reading! :)

“Wait wait! My hands are cramping!” Sakura said with a groan. 

Placing the large wardrobe box by the edge of the stairs, Ino and Sakura sat on one of the steps and took a deep breath. 

It was move in day for Ino Yamanaka, and she couldn’t have been more excited. It had taken her weeks to find someone who would be willing to share an apartment with her in the middle of the millennial-booming city. With just staying for one week at her mother’s place, her frustration with living with parents had reached the roof. Nonetheless, with college loans to yet be paid, she knew that getting a roommate was a smarter decision than living alone and having to bear all of those expenses by herself.

“All right, let’s do this again.”

“OK, I’ll hold from the bottom this time.” Ino said. 

Counting to three, the two young women lifted the heavy box one more time and slowly began to climb up the stairs. Although she didn’t have much furniture, she did own a lot items, particularly clothes. This was the second large wardrobe box that the two young women were carrying up the stairs and already their hands were turning red and paining. 

“OK, my hands are slipping.” Ino said with a tired sigh, and both girls placed the box on the steps. 

Making sure that it wouldn’t slide down, Sakura stood by the bottom of the steps and supported it while Ino massaged her aching hands.

“I wish Sasuke was here…” 

“Where is he anyway?” Ino asked, eyeing her friend from underneath her bangs.

“Business trip. And Naruto’s out of town with Hinata. He’s meeting her parents for the first time. Where’s Chouji and Shikamaru?”

“Shikamaru is out of the country with Temari on a two-week trip to Europe, and Chouji hasn’t texted me back. He’s probably stuffing his face somewhere.”

Sakura frowned. “Hmm… What about Tenten? Extra pair of hands would be helpful.” 

“She’s also out of the country… Traveling around with Neji.”

“Jeez, are we the only two who’s not having fun?” 

“Seems like it. Now come on, we only have a few more steps left.”

Counting to three, the two girls lifted the box again and began to finish climbing the steps. Nonetheless, upon having one step left, Sakura tripped over one of the steps, causing the box to lean forward and tilt heavily towards Ino. 

“Aw crap, Sakura it’s about to fall on me!”

“Shit shit shit! Wait, let me try to pull it back.”

Trying to find a good grip, Sakura tried to hold it from the sides but instead of being able to pull the box back towards her, she ended up tripping again, causing the box to fall on her friend. 

“Dammit Sakura!”

“Sorry! This is too heavy! What do you even have in there?!”

“Clothes! And get this off me! It’s squishing my boobs!”

“OK OK, hold on…” 

Sakura tried going around, but frowned. The box, which of course happened to be as wide as the staircase, didn’t allow the pink-haired girl to go around it. And she couldn’t pull it off because that would mean that the box would tilt towards her direction and fall on her. And for her, it would be worse considering she was standing by the steps. 

“Ino, I can’t get around it. And I’m scared that if I pull it back, I’ll get crushed.”

“Shit. Fine, let me try wiggling out from underneath.” 

Taking a deep breath, Ino pushed the box slightly, giving herself some space in order to crawl backwards. But just as she was almost out from underneath it, her hands began to ache and slip, causing the box to once again fall on her. God damn, what DID she have in there? She knew she should have packed lighter and donated a lot of her old unused clothes… 

“Need help?”

Looking up, Ino blinked at the red-haired young man standing right above her. The man who would be sharing the apartment with her for one year. His teal blue eyes looked down at her, a slight look of amusement on his face. Wearing a white t-shirt with black jeans, he had his arms crossed in front of his chest. 

“Oh, you’re here! When did you move in?”

“A couple of hours ago. You forgot to pick up your copy of the mailbox key. I placed it on the kitchen counter.”

“Oh, thank you so much!”

“Hm, it’s nothing. Do you need help or are you planning on lying on the stairs with that box on top of you?”

Ino giggled, her face turning slightly red from embarrassment. “A little help would be appreciated…” 

Crouching by her side, Gaara grabbed the box and lifted it, allowing Ino to crawl out from underneath and stand up. 

“Hehehe, it’s a little heavy….”

“It’s fine. You can grab the other side. I’ll help you carry it inside.”

Muttering a thank you, the blonde girl grabbed it from the other side with Sakura and the three of them carried the almost six-foot tall cardboard box inside the apartment and into Ino’s room. 

The apartment was pretty empty, with only the essentials being present. The dining table, which Ino bought online and had delivered, was already assembled. A T.V. stand with a flat screen television was already present in the living room, and she could already see that the couch was already half assembled. 

The door to Gaara’s bedroom was opened, allowing the girl to see an already assembled bed with sheets and pillows on top. 

“Wow, you’re pretty much done.”

“I came here at eight,” Gaara replied while leaning against the frame of her door. 

“How did you manage to get all of this up here?”

“My brother helped me. He’ll be back later.”

Ino nodded, remembering that Temari had a younger brother who was still older than Gaara. A small mischievous smile formed on her lips as she thought of a plan, all while watching as Sakura sat tiredly by the dining table. 

“Say, what time will your brother be here?”

“Maybe in one hour. Why?”

“Well… let’s just say… that in my truck rental, there is one more box… my bed… and my mattress… and as you can see, me and Sakura aren’t well muscled to pick those things up.”

“My arms hurt,” Sakura whined from the kitchen in the meantime. 

The corner of Gaara’s lips lifted slightly, knowing all too well that this was going to happen. From his bedroom window, as he was almost done assembling his dresser, he had seen them terribly park the rental truck on the parking lot of the apartment complex and slowly carry items inside the apartment. He knew that it wouldn’t take long for him to eventually have to step in and carry the items for them, especially the heavy ones. 

“I’ll make you your favorite dinner tonight!” Ino said, her eyebrows going up and down.

She really didn’t have to set a condition. Despite being slightly amused at watching her and Sakura struggle, he would have helped them regardless. However, he didn’t mind having his now roommate cook dinner for him. 

“Alright then,” Gaara said, pushing himself off the wall. “We can carry that last wardrobe box. When Kankuro comes, we’ll bring in your bed.”

Ino beamed with excitement while Sakura frowned. Her upper arms ached terribly, and she knew that by tomorrow morning, they would be sore. 

With Gaara’s help, the three of them carried the third wardrobe box up to the apartment. Of course, the girls (they wouldn’t admit this outloud) relaxed and allowed Gaara to carry most of the weight of the box. With him on one side, Ino and Sakura held the box by the opposite side.

Once the box was in her room, Ino quickly began to put her clothes away. One thing she loved about her bedroom was the large walk-in closet and built in shelves within it. It allowed her to not have to move in much furniture. 

After some time, Kankuro returned to his brother’s apartment and immediately began helping with bringing in Ino’s bed. And to Ino’s favor, both boys also assembled her bed and laid the mattress on top, allowing the blonde to just have to set the sheets and pillows. Oh yes, it was good having a male roommate...and one who knew how to work with tools. She remembered the last time she tried assembling furniture - it had been with Sakura and both girls had done such a terrible job that Sasuke had to file a refund request and claim that the package had arrived broken instead. 

After the assembly of her bed, the red-haired man went back to assembling the couch, not aware of the quick picture his roommate had taken of him.

\--

“Your roommate has a nice ass.”

Looking up from his laptop, Gaara raised an eyebrow at his brother. It was near evening and finally, all the furniture was assembled (including Ino’s). He had been finishing up a software development project while his brother did whatever Kankuro did. Of course, he shouldn’t have been surprised at the fact that he was already checking out his roommate. The moment he had met Ino, Gaara noticed the way Kankuro’s eyes lingered a bit too much on the blonde. 

“I thought you were going to call Temari…” Gaara said, closing his laptop and placing it on the coffee table in the living room. 

“I did but she didn’t pick up! She’s probably out… But anyway, when’s your hot roommate going to cook dinner for us?”

“Hm, not sure. Ask her.”

Kankuro shook his head and Gaara sighed. Despite having a habit of checking girls out, Kankuro was always awkward when it came to talking to women. 

“Nah, I don’t know her that well. But she’s hot though! How’d you even get her to be your roommate?”

“She asked me,” Gaara said, “She was looking for an apartment and someone who would want to split the bills with her. I… needed a change…”

Kankuro understood what change Gaara needed. Ever since their mother’s death, Gaara and their father never saw eye to eye and while growing up, there had been instances where his younger brother hadn’t been afraid of lifting his fist towards their father. Kankuro, being the middle child, would be the one to occasionally step between both males, not wanting Temari to be involved and accidentally get hurt. 

The moment Gaara had signed the lease, things in their house had lifted and on the day his brother’s belongings were moved out, their father didn’t even bother to ask why his youngest child was moving out.

“Well, she seems cool,” Kankuro said with a shrug, “and a cutie with a nice tush. Have you noticed?”

Gaara raised an eyebrow and Kankuro shrugged innocently. “What!? Please tell me you have noticed.”

“..I… don’t know…”

“Gaara, are you serious? What you mean you don’t know? Look, she’s in the kitchen right now… Come look, she won’t notice.”

“...Kankuro…”

“Oh come on, bro. She has headphones on! She won’t notice. Just take a quick look.”

Sighing, Gaara turned his head to the side from where he stood and looked at the kitchen. The fridge door was opened and he knew that she was crouched in front of it, probably grabbing some vegetables. But after a couple of seconds, she stood up and closed the fridge door with her foot while placing the vegetables on the kitchen counter top. 

And damn, Kankuro was right. Wearing black tights with a gray spaghetti strap tank top, Gaara was able to view Ino’s rear from a good angle. It wasn’t extremely large, but it was big enough to notice and the fact that she occasionally bent down to pick up something wasn’t helping. In fact, it allowed him to analyze her ass even more, noticing how it was almost round and heart shaped, and he could see why his brother wanted him to take a look. And now that he did, he knew that her perfectly-shaped ass would be one thing that would cross his mind every time he saw her.

_Damn… _

“Dinner’s ready, boys!”

Ino shouted from the kitchen and Kankuro chuckled as Gaara quickly shook his head. 

  
“For a second, I thought your eyes were about to roll out of your head. I said take a quick look, not a long-ass stare!”

“Shut up,” Gaara groaned at his brother, feeling the tips of his ears become hot.

Both men headed towards the dining room and sat on the table as Ino placed their dinners on top. The aroma of the freshly made food had Kankuro rubbing the palm of his hands excitedly. With Temari out on vacation, it had been a while since he had good fresh homemade food. 

The sound of kitchen utensils hitting the floor took both men’s attention and suddenly, their eyes widened slightly as Ino bent down to pick them up, allowing them to notice the color of her undergarments from the thin-fabric leggings. 

Damn, red panties.

The sight caused Gaara to choke on the water he started drinking, which had Kankuro laughing out loud. 

Between Gaara coughing and Kankuro laughing, Ino stared at both of them confusingly, her blue eyes darting back and forth. “What? I just dropped a fork and spoon ...”

“N-Nothing,” Kankuro said while laughing, “Gaara just saw red for the first time.”

“Huh?”

“Shut up, Kankuro.” Gaara said between coughs, feeling his face become warm. He knew he should have kicked his brother out an hour ago.

Mentally telling herself that men can be stupid sometimes, Ino shrugged and grabbed a new set of utensils for them. She eyed her coughing roommate for a second, eyebrows furrowing as she noticed his face slightly red. 

“You OK?”

“I’m fine,” Gaara said while clearing his throat. Grabbing his fork and knife, he cut a piece of grilled chicken from his plate and began to eat it. 

Something else hit the floor and looking up, the piece of chicken he was in the middle of chewing got caught in his throat as Ino, once again, bent over right in front of him and picked up Kankuro’s phone, who of course was grinning from ear to ear at the fact that Gaara was getting his third viewing of some Yamanaka ass. The coughs returned and this time worse due to the fact that now there was food in his throat. 

Damn Kankuro.

“Aw crap, you’re choking!” 

Quickly, Ino stood behind her coughing roommate and patted his back five times as Gaara was finally able to swallow the piece of food. 

“Hm, maybe I should have cut your food into small pieces,” Ino joked with a wink, causing Kankuro to chuckle and Gaara to give him a glare. “Crap, I forgot napkins. Let me go grab them.”

“Ino,” Gaara said with a hoarse voice.

“Yes?”

“Just sit down and eat, I’ll get them.” he instructed while standing up and motioning her to sit down, causing her to smile. 

“Aw thanks Gaara. You’re so sweet!”

Her roommate didn’t reply, but Kankuro snorted while holding back his chuckle. Sitting back down on the dining table, Gaara placed one piece of napkin by his roommate’s plate and one by his, causing Kankuro to frown.

“Hey, where’s mine?”

“I forgot,” Gaara’s said with teasing narrowed eyes. 

“Tsk, it’s fine. I don’t need one. Say… Hey Ino, did you know that Gaara’s favorite color is red?”

Gaara glared at his brother as Ino smiled at them. “Really? Is that why he dyed his hair red?”

Kankuro laughed out loud at the comment as Gaara let out a low growl. “It’s natural…” he muttered under his breath, grabbing his glass of water.

“Oh, my bad.” Ino said with a chuckle. “I always wondered why Temari was blonde and you were a red-head… and Kankuro is practically a brunette.”

“Well, brunettes are better than blondes and red-heads.” Kankuro joked while running his fingers through his short hair.

“Ha, you wish!” Ino retorted. 

And for the next thirty minutes, the trio continued having their dinner, Gaara remaining mostly quiet while Ino and Kankuro joked back and forth about blondes and brunettes and which of the two groups were hotter. Although he wasn’t interested in the topic they were discussing, the red-head felt at ease and comfortable. He didn’t particularly cared that he was going to share an apartment with a girl; what he wanted the most was to put distance between him and his father. 

Not wanting to interrupt their conversation on blonde, brunetters, and red-heads, Gaara decided to clean up and run the dishwasher. It was already past ten and he knew that he had to prepare for the long day he was going to have the next day. Last week, Baki, his manager, had given him and his colleague, Neji, the heads up that they would be extremely busy working on a confidential project for the company. In a way, Gaara was glad for the challenge. His father had been texting him a few hours ago, asking where he had moved to and why he had moved out. Working late hours would help him keep his mind concentrated on his future. 

Once Kankuro left, the apartment was quiet, the only noise heard being the dishwasher in the kitchen. Dressed in his typical night clothes, Gaara stared at the long word document displayed on his work laptop. Getting a quick read from it would help him with tomorrow’s meetings. Although the meetings ran for almost the entire day, he didn’t mind it. It was something he had gotten used to pretty quickly. 

As Gaara scrolled through the document, his phone vibrated next to him. The screen showed him one unread text message from his brother and upon opening it, he let out a tired sigh. Not wanting to ever get caught with having such image saved on his phone, Gaara quickly deleted the image before putting his phone back down. There was no point in replying back to his brother. It would just cause Kankuro to tease him more.

Long meetings, political work environment, having a sour relationship with his father - that he could manage. 

But Kankuro sending him pictures he took of Ino’s ass while she had been cooking?

Yeah, that’s something he’ll have to learn to live with…. For at least a year.


	6. Tenten’s Dog is a Bitch

Tenten’s dog was a bitch. Not just literally (because it was female), but figurable as well. And Ino found out the hard way, of course.

So how did it start?

Well, it started when Tenten sent out a mass text to her, Sakura, Temari, Rock Lee, and Hinata that she and Neji were planning on going camping for the weekend and needed someone to watch out for her small Chihuahua, Daisy, for two days. 

After confirming with Gaara that it was OK to have a dog over (and that she would be responsible for cleaning up after it), Ino immediately replied back that she would watch over Daisy. 

Ino had never met Daisy before, but had seen pictures of her on Tenten’s social media website and the dog was small but adorable. It didn’t have much hair (like a typical Chihuahua) and it was white with a pink collar around her neck. Seeing how Tenten dressed the little dog in adorable pink outfits pushed Ino’s decision to babysit the little creature for two days. 

“Aw, she’s so cute!!!!” Ino squealed in delight as Neji walked inside her apartment with a small dog cage and inside of it, of course, was Daisy. Behind Neji entered Tenten, holding a box with plenty of dog food, a small fluffy pillow bed, a couple of dog toys, two bowls, and a pink leash. 

“Thank you! Now, she is trained and won’t leave any mess around just as long as you take her out every four to six hours and right before you go to bed so she doesn’t bother you at night.”

Ino nodded while jotting it down on a sticky note. Babysitting Daisy wouldn’t be a problem at all as long as she had her walks, food, water, and bed. Dogs weren’t as needy as children. 

“And here are some bags for when you take her out and need to pick up after her.” Tenten said, handing her a bone-shaped container with black bags inside. “Text me if you need anything!”

“Don’t let her near your shoes,” Neji added in as a warning, and Ino knew that he was most likely talking from personal experience. 

Crouching in front of the cage, Tenten opened the small cage door and grabbed her small dog as it ran towards her. The dog stood on her two back legs and waggled her thin white tail, whimpering sadly as if knowing that her owner was about to leave. 

“It’s OK, I’ll be back in two days!” Tenten said while scratching the top of the dog’s head. “Auntie Ino will take good care of you!

Daisy let out a small bark as Tenten stood and walked towards the front door. “We need to get going now. Thank you so much Ino for watching over her. And Gaara will be OK with her?”

“Mhmm, it’s no big deal! He’s OK with it! Now you two go have fun! Daisy and I will have lots of fun together!”

Tenten smiled as she waved at her small dog. “Bye Daisy! Be a good girl and I’ll see you soon!”

_Three hours into dog sitting…_

Daisy hated her. 

Ino didn’t need the dog telling her that. And if the little devil did speak, it would’ve freaked out the blonde even more. 

But she knew that the chihuahua hated her. 

The moment Tenten and Neji left for their small trip, the dog walked back inside its cage and sat there with one of her toys, not leaving. Not even once. Setting a bowl with water near the entrance of her cage, Ino went to the living room and began watching one of her favorite TV dramas - Mob Wives. The catfight and the drama always excited her, as it was entertaining to watch the women gossip about each other on the reality TV show. 

The apartment door opened and closed, letting Ino know that her roommate was back from whatever hike he and Kankuro had been doing. As usual, Gaara didn’t say anything while walking into the living room. But what surprised her more was the fact that Daisy, for the first time, had left her cage and followed the red-haired young man. 

Ino watched the small dog with a raised eyebrow as it sat on the floor in front of Gaara, who was now sitting next to her. 

“Hey Daisy, you finally-”

**Grrr**

Ino pulled her hand back immediately, staring at the dog with wide eyes as it growled at her. Gaara smiled while turning his head towards her.

“I don’t think she likes you.”

“She probably only likes Neji and Tenten,”

“No, I think it’s just you that she doesn’t like.”

Ino glared at her roommate. “What? You think she’ll like you any better?”

Gaara didn’t say anything. Instead, he leaned down from the couch, allowing the small dog to sniff his hand. After a couple of sniffs, Daisy jumped onto Gaara’s hand, wagging her tail excitedly as the young man brought her up to his lap. 

“I rest my case.” 

And damn he was right. For the rest of the day, the dog wouldn’t leave Gaara’s side, even when it had to use the bathroom. In order to get Daisy outside the apartment, Ino had to beg her humored roommate to come as well. The foolishness with Daisy didn’t end there though. As Ino suspected, the dog only wanted Gaara to hold her leash. The only thing she did allow Ino to do was pick up the feces from the ground with the plastic bag. 

It was already nighttime, and Ino placed Daisy’s bed in the middle of the living room. 

“Alright Daisy, in bed. I need to sleep.”

The dog paid no attention to her as it instead walked inside Gaara’s room. 

“Gaara, bring the dog out!”

Gaara, who was putting on a shirt in the meantime, watched as the dog stood by his feet.

“You can get her, she’s right here.”

Ino groaned while heading into his room. It was near midnight and even though it was a weekend, Ino did not want to stay up so late. 

Not wanting to deal with any more of Daisy’s behavior, Ino bent down and grabbed the small dog, ready to pick her up and place her on her bed. But just as she touched her, Daisy growled and quickly turned, scraping its sharp teeth against Ino’s hand.

“Wh-What the?! She almost bit me! This little bitch!”

“Are you OK?”

“I’m fine, but this bitch almost bit me!”

Gaara looked at the light scratch against her skin before looking back down at the chihuahua, who of course looked at him with innocent puppy eyes. 

“Bring her bed here...she can sleep in here…”

“You sure?”

“Yeah…”

“OK, but you do know that I need to take her out in the morning so she doesn’t pee on your floor.”

“I’ll be awake at that time. And if she does, you’ll just clean it up.”

Ino wanted to argue back but closed her mouth realizing that technically, she did tell him that she would be responsible for the little dog. Shrugging her shoulders, Ino grabbed the small dog bed and placed it inside her roommate’s room.

“Alright then, goodnight Daisy! Don’t piss on the floor!”

And with that, the blond walked towards her room, removing her shirt and pants, and smiled as her head hit her fluffy pillow.

The next morning, she woke up late. And the moment she realized that it was way past seven in the morning, she rushed off her bed and towards Gaara’s room, praying that the dog didn’t piss (or even worse, poop) inside his room. Luckily for her, his door was slightly opened and with a single push, Ino opened the door wider and ran inside. 

“Please tell me that she didn’t make a mess in your room! I totally forgot to set an alarm!”

“She didn’t, and I took her out two hours ago,” Gaara said, turning around and immediately turning away. “And you’re not wearing anything on top…”

Looking down at herself and shrugging, Ino leaned against the door while looking down at the napping chihuahua. “Well, I was too busy hoping that she didn’t poop on your floor to put on a shirt…”

Gaara sighed while he stared at the ceiling. “Thank you for your concern… But you can put on a shirt now…” 

Ino saw how he continued staring at the ceiling and giggled. “Ya know, sometimes you can be somewhat intimidating… but one thing I realized is that when it comes to the female body, you can get extremely shy.”

“It’s not the female body… it’s your…. Nevermind.”

“Huh? Come on, tell me. It’s my what?”

“Nothing, just go put on a shirt.”

“Relax, breasts are just part of the human body. I see different types of breasts every single day at the hospital. Now come on Daisy, it’s time for your first meal!”

Gaara finally turned his eyes, watching the small dog leave his room before his eyes drifted up towards his retrieving roommate.

_Damn…_

In the meantime, Ino poured some food for Daisy on her bowl before heading into the shower and preparing for the day. Today was a lazy Sunday for her, something she always loved. While she liked to go out and have fun, she always needed a day to relax and watch her favorite reality tv shows. 

After her shower, she dressed up in a simple t-shirt and brown leggings. With Gaara already taking Daisy out, Ino knew that she had at least three more hours before taking the dog out for a second walk. She was ready to turn on the TV and watch her show. 

Hearing her phone ring, Ino darted back inside her room and stared at the screen: Sakura Haruno.

“Hey!”

_ “Hey! How’s it going?” _

“Going well, was about to start watching Mob Wives. And I’m watching over Tenten’s dog until she and Neji come back.” 

_ “Oh, you mean Daisy?” _

“Yup!”

_ “That dog hates me. She loves Sasuke, but hates me… Haha” _

“Really? She hates me too! She likes to be around Gaara though. She almost bit me last night!”

_ “Yeah, she definitely likes men more than women. Not sure if Temari has met her and Hinata is scared of her.” _

“I don’t blame her. Daisy’s like the white devil,” Ino said while walking to the kitchen and grabbing the trash bag. Considering it was Sunday, it was the day they had to place the trash outside. 

Sakura laughed from the other end. _“Yes, she is. Anyway, I’m calling because Shizune just gave me some not so good news…”_

“What happened?” Ino asked as she walked out of the apartment with the full trash bag in her hand.

_ “Do you remember the airplane crash from almost two months ago?” _

“Yeah, how can I forget… That day was hectic!”

_ “Do you remember the little blonde girl that you met?” _

“Marylin? Of course, I do! I’m still not over the fact that she passed away.”

_ “Her father is suing the hospital,” _

Ino gaped as she almost dropped the trash bag. “Seriously?! After all the crap he’s been doing?! We should be suing him!”

Even with the aircraft investigation still pending, Marylin’s father had made threatening phone calls to the hospital ever since his daughter’s passing. Ino wasn’t sure if he had called again within the last two weeks, but she did take notice of the two new security guards placed there at night. 

_ “Exactly! But he’s suing the hospital, saying that all of us weren’t careful enough with dealing with his daughter’s injuries… That ultimately, it was because of us and our lack of experience that caused her death.” _

Ino wanted to punch something but instead flung the trash bag over the dumpster, glaring at it as it landed inside. 

“That man needs to realize that his daughter was in a plane crash that killed the majority of the passengers inside! She was lucky to even have been awake when they found her! There’s only so much we could have done! There were so many injured people and only a few of us!”

_ “I know… I know… it’s ridiculous… But from what Shizune told me, Doctor Tsunade and the legal team is taking care of it. So for now, there’s no point in stressing over it. We did what we could that day.” _

“You’re right,” Ino said as she walked back to her apartment. “I just wish he would leave the hospital alone…”

_ “I know, and I agree. Hopefully, the legal team puts some type of restraining order on him. I’m scared that he’ll do something crazy… Like a bring a gun in or something…” _

“Yeah, hopefully, it never comes to that.”

_ “I hope so too. Anyway, I have to go. Sasuke’s brother invited us for lunch, and he’s a really good cook! Gotta get ready. I’ll talk to you soon! And pet Daisy for me but careful she doesn’t bite your hand off!” _

Ino rolled her eyes, while hearing Sakura’s laugh, as she re-entered the apartment building. 

“Very funny, Forehead Girl. Now go enjoy yourself while I go watch Mob Wives.”

The two friends said their goodbyes and Ino stood in front of her apartment door, ready to start her Sunday TV marathon. 

However, a concerning realization suddenly hit her as she stared at the opened front door. With a heavy heart, Ino pushed the door opened and walked inside quickly, blue eyes searching frantically for Daisy. 

“Daisy? Daisy, where are you?”

No response, not even a growl.

“Gaara, is the dog with you?” Ino asked with a nervous tone. 

Gaara opened his bedroom door and gazed at his roommate. “She’s not here with me. Why? You can’t find her?”

Groaning, the blonde nodded. “I think… Actually, I accidentally left the door open a bit when I went to take out the trash and I realized only after coming back… She was here in the living room before I left though!”

“Did you check the bathroom or your room?”

“Bathroom door has been closed, and she doesn’t even like coming into my room I’m pretty sure she escaped and crap, Tenten’s going to kill me! Can you please come and help me find her? She responds to you more than me! Please! I’ll cook dinner every day for the next week!”

“OK,” Gaara said with a sigh and went back inside his room to grab his sneakers. 

Just as the pair walked out of the apartment to look for the dog, Ino felt her phone vibrate. Upon looking at the screen to see who she received a text from, her blue eyes widened in fear as she saw Tenten’s name.

_ Hey Ino! It started pouring hard over here, so Neji and I are cutting our trip short and we’re about to head back! I should be at your place in two hours. I’ll give you a call once we’re closer! _

“Aw crap…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Tenten texted me… She’s on her way back... She should be here in two hours… which means we have two hours to look for that stupid little dog!”

The two split up, Ino going through the several floors of the building while Gaara searched outside. Neighbors who had happened to be standing outside shook their heads, although most recommended Ino to call the nearby shelters in case someone had dropped off the dog there. 

Sitting on one of the steps, Ino called the five nearby shelters in her city, the first four telling her that so far, they have not received any white female chihuahua. The fifth shelter gave her hope for the first ten seconds of their call, but then her heart shattered once again as soon as the shelter told her that they had a male white chihuahua. Not female, so not Daisy. After speaking with neighbors and checking all of the levels in her apartment, Ino jogged around the vicinity and went as far as checking the park that was half a mile away. 

Time was already approaching as Ino walked up to her apartment defeatedly. Opening the door, she glanced at her roommate as he grabbed a water bottle. 

“I’m guessing you didn’t find her…”

“No,” Gaara replied, “I even ran around for a few blocks.”

Checking the time and Tenten’s latest text, Ino sighed. “Tenten should be here in ten minutes… Well, let’s see how hard she’ll kick my ass…”

Not waiting for a response from him, Ino walked over to her bedroom and slumped on her bed. She wondered if maybe she should text Neji and tell him first, but then figured that he was probably driving and Tenten would check his phone anyway. She could buy another white female chihuahua, or maybe adopt that male chihuahua from the shelter, but Tenten wasn’t stupid. She would figure it out one way or another that that’s not her dog. 

Rolling onto her stomach, Ino groaned loudly. Her first time babysitting a small dog and this happens. Fate must hate her. 

Sitting up straight on her bed, Ino’s eyebrows furrowed as she felt something wet. Bringing her hand to her face, Ino sniffed her hand and made a face as the smell of urine quickly hit her. 

“Why are my sheets smelling like piss?!”

Upon getting up from her bed, Ino saw something move from the corner of her eyes and once seeing what it was, screamed.

“There you are! Oh my god! Gaara, I found her! And she freaking peed on my bed!”

Walking into her room, Gaara glanced at the white dog lying on Ino’s pillow before glancing at the wet spot on her bed. The corner of his mouth lifted in a small smirk. 

“At least you are wearing a shirt this time,”

Ino glared at him. “Oh shut it! I was ready to cry thinking about how mad Tenten was going to be and all you care about is about me having a shirt on- You know what Gaara? I think you need a hug!”

“Huh? I don’t need- Ino, no. Don’t you dare…”

“Or what, Roomie?”

“Ino, No- Crap.”

Gaara groaned as his roommate wrapped her arms tightly around him, feeling the wet spot of dog urine getting on to his t-shirt. 

“Keep teasing me about being shirtless and see what happens.”

Gaara looked down at her, feeling his heart skip a beat upon realizing how close her face was to his. Noticing how she also realized their face proximities, Gaara looked at her eyes as he saw her gaze trail to his lips. 

There was a mental tug in his mind, whether it would be appropriate or not to lean down and kiss her. Considering her gaze was still on his lips, Gaara wondered if she had the same thought as well and if she did have similar doubts, he wondered about pulling the first move and letting her know that it’s OK…

“Hey-whoa! Sorry guys, your door was unlocked and I knocked several times.”

The two quickly separated, Gaara staring at the floor with his hands inside his pockets and Ino staring at Tenten and Neji as if they were ghosts. She wasn’t sure if her face was red or not. 

“Oh, hey there! You guys are here!”

“Yes, we are,” Tenten replied, eyebrow raised while giving Ino the ‘we-saw-that’ look. Ino pretended nothing had happened. “We knocked and called you but it looks like you were busy…”

“Oh, that’s fine! Well, your dog is here! See? Hey Daisy look, your mom is here!” Ino didn’t know why her voice was suddenly high pitched, but she spoke while keeping her back to her roommate. She wondered if he was blushing too.

The dog jumped off Ino’s bed and ran towards Tenten. 

“I’ll grab the cage and food,” Neji said and Tenten nodded.

“Thank you so much Ino for watching over her! I owe you- Did she pee on you?”

Looking down at her shirt again, Ino giggled sheepishly. “Haha, yeah but no harm done! I can always wash it. She behaved well!”

It was a lie, but right now her mind kept replaying her staring Gaara’s lips. Damn!

“Well, that’s good to know! Sakura tells me that Daisy doesn’t like her but loves Sasuke. I’ll be honest, Daisy can be somewhat sexist. But I’m glad you two got along! Maybe you can be her babysitter.”

Ino felt a vein pop on her forehead, but was glad that her bangs were hiding that section. “S-Sure! Just give me a heads up!”

Crap, what was she getting herself into.

“Awesome, thank you so much and we’ll leave now. It looked like you two were busy with something,” Tenten said with a wink and Ino blushed.

“Oh...Oh no we weren’t. Yeah, we weren’t.”

“Mhmm, OK Ino. Whatever you say. Say goodbye to Auntie Ino, Daisy.”

The dog didn’t even bother looking back at Ino as it walked towards Neji, who bent down and picked her up with one hand. 

“Bye Daisy!” Ino said, glad that the white little four-legged devil was finally gone. 

Closing the apartment door and locking it, Ino darted into the bathroom and locked the door. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and sighed, telling herself that it’s OK to avoid her roommate for the rest of the day and pretend that none of that had happened. 


	7. Hike Day

It had been raining hard yesterday, to the point that both of them stayed indoors the entire day. Throughout the middle of the day, the electricity had gone out, forcing the two to stay in their living room playing the game jenga. It was during the middle of their game that Ino had expressed her desire to become more athletic, which Gaara had then recommended her to accompany him to the fitness center he always went to. The blonde girl had hesitated with the idea, to which her roommate further suggested hiking around the woods with him. The adventurous side of her agreed to the idea, considering how she was already on the season finale of Mob Wives and wouldn’t have anything else to do.

The rain had stopped shortly before midnight and the next day, the sun shone brightly over the city.

Gaara finished his breakfast and coffee as he heard Ino walking out of her room. She wore black Nike gym leggings with a purple gym crop top. It was supposed to be sunny and humid today. Her hair was tied back in its usual high ponytail with her bangs clipped to the side.

“I’m ready!” Ino proclaimed.

Gaara grabbed three cold water bottles from the fridge and placed them inside a gym drawstring bag. He placed a banana and a small container with almonds inside as well.

The two headed out shortly after, Ino smiling as the bright light from the sun shone against her skin. It felt great compared to the last two days of hard rain.

With the sun out, residents and tourists were out enjoying the day, which led to crowded train rides and buses. With all of the seats taken in the train and many passengers already standing in the center of the train cart, Gaara and Ino stood by a corner as more passengers continued to enter.

“How far is it?” Ino asked, watching as passengers standing outside the train looked inside and shook their heads as the train cars became very full.

“Six stops from here,” Gaara said, arms crossed in front of his chest. “And from there, it’s a two-mile walk to the park.”

Ino frowned and looked at him. “Two-mile walk? That’s a lot…”

“It’s not,” he said, giving her a blank look. “Besides, didn’t you tell me not too long ago that you wanted to be more active?”

“Yeah yeah…” Ino said, waving her hand in front of him, missing the slight smile he gave her.

The train began to move and Ino held on to a pole for dear life. Gaara, in the meantime, stood with his legs apart and arms still crossed in front of his chest, the movement of the train not hindering his balance at all. 

“How is it that you can stand there and not fall?” Ino asked, both of her hands holding on to the pole as the train began to slow down for the next stop. 

Gaara gave her a lazy shrug. “I have good balance… and wear good shoes.”

The train doors opened, passengers coming in and out. To ensure that she wasn’t in the way of anybody trying to enter or exit the train car, Ino moved closer to the wall of the train. As she stood right next to Gaara, more people (few carrying beach bags, small beach umbrellas and coolers) entered, causing the already cramped space to be even more cramped. The doors closed again and passengers quickly held on to whatever they could. Seeing as everyone standing in the same area held on to the one pole, Ino placed a hand on the wall as the train slowly began to move. 

Nonetheless, as soon as the train gained speed, Ino lost her balance and crashed onto Gaara, who continued to stay still. 

“Sorry, there’s nothing to hold on to,” she said, attempting to hold on to the wall again. 

“Hold on to me then,” he said, uncrossing his arms as she held onto his left arm.

It took about twenty minutes for the train to stop at their designated station, and Ino quickly got off the train before another swarm of passengers got on, with Gaara trailing right behind her.

The two began their two-mile walk towards the park, which she found that it wasn’t too bad considering there were sidewalks for them to walk on and cute little shops along the way. Ino made a mental note to stop by after their hike to buy a couple of hand-made jewelry. 

They entered a large parking lot, watching as several people took out kayaks. 

“Is there a river around here?” Ino asked as several people around their age ran past them with swimming gear.

“Yeah,” Gaara replied. “We can hike towards the river, or hike towards the top of the waterfall. From there, you’ll be able to see the river.”

The idea of standing by the top of a waterfall excited her. “Let’s go to the waterfall!”

Gaara nodded and led her towards the hiking path that led to the top of the waterfall. The first point 4 miles of the hike was easy, and Ino was amazed at how beautiful and natural everything looked. While growing up, her parents had never bothered with taking her hiking. Before their divorce, the most they would do was take her to the park for her to go on the swings. 

Gaara slowed his pace down as he saw how she took her time to look around in amazement. Typically, he would hike with Kankuro on most weekends, and the hikes they would do were strenuous. However, this was Ino, and seeing how her face shone at the smallest things made him realize that she truly was a city girl. 

“How much longer until the top of the waterfall?” Ino asked, tearing her eyes away from a set of flowers she had never seen before. 

“About five and a half miles,” Gaara replied.

“And how long would that take?”

“Maybe forty minutes or more… Depending on our pace and how many stops we take to look at flowers.”

Ino smiled sheepishly. “Heh, sorry. I tend to get distracted by them. Alright, let’s go!”

_Thirty minutes later…_

Her calves were killing her, and she blamed herself mostly for not asking Gaara how steep the hill was that led to the top of the waterfall. Sweat was rolling down her back as she took big steps behind Gaara, who climbed up without stopping. Seeing how he continued his pace without slowing down, Ino knew that the steep slope wasn’t affecting him at all. 

But her? Her legs were shaking and she knew that she had to sit down or else her whole body would go down.

“G-Gaara, wait,” she said while panting.

The red-haired young man turned around and stared at her as she leaned against a tree for support. 

“Here, drink some water.” Gaara gave her a water bottle, and Ino took it quickly. He watched her as she drank half the bottle in less than a minute. 

“You should have told me you were tired,” he said, sitting next to her on the large rock. “For a while, I forgot that I wasn’t with Kankuro…”

Ino glared at him. “Are you seriously saying that you forgot I was with you all this time?”

Gaara shook his head. Damn, wrong choice of words. “No, I meant…. Nevermind. How are you feeling now? Better?”

Ino sighed and massaged her legs. “My calves are killing me. I didn’t know it would be this steep.”

“It’ll get better,” Gaara said, “We’re not that far. Can’t you hear the water?”

Ino listened for a couple of seconds before nodding. “Yeah, I do. How much more?”

“Maybe another half mile…”

“How much more time would that take in non-Gaara speed?”

The young man smiled slightly as he responded. “In Ino speed, probably fifteen to twenty minutes.”

“I don’t think I can keep going… not for another ten minutes. I’m not used to this,” Ino said with a tired sigh. 

“It’s not that far-”

“My legs are screaming at me and-”

“I’ll carry you-”

“-what?! Gaara, it’s steep and there are rocks everywhere. If you fall, I fall too!”

“...It’ll be a new challenge for me,” he said while getting up and Ino rolled her eyes. Men and their challenges. Heck, no wonder women lived longer than them. 

“Come on, hop on and carry the bag,” Gaara said while kneeling on one knee, his back towards her. 

Ino groaned and stood up, her legs shaking again from exhaustion. She grabbed the gym bag with water bottles and placed it on her back before leaning over his back and lightly wrapping her arms around his neck. Slowly, he stood up and placed his hands underneath her knees. 

“Are you sure about this?” Ino asked while looking around, glad that there weren’t many people around to see.

  
“...Yeah…”

“Carrying me while hiking up may strain your back, you know…” Ino said softly, although part of her liked being carried. 

“I lift every day,” Gaara said, “This is nothing.”

Ino smiled and placed her chin on his shoulder, the corner of her eyes watching how the back of his neck was sweaty, causing some red strands to stick to his neck. Absentmindedly, she brushed some of the strands with her fingers, loving the softness of his hair. With the bright sun shining over them, it made his hair seem brighter than usual, and part of her wondered how he got such red hair compared to his sister being blond and brother having brown hair. Her hand reached higher and touched the strands by the side of his head, brushing through them with her fingers and placing them behind his ear. And just as she did, she caught a glimpse of the tattoo typically half hidden by his hair. It was small, but it was always there. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever asked you about your tattoo. Is it...real?”

The question seemed to startle him, as Ino felt his back tense a bit. 

“...Yeah,” he replied after some time. 

“What does it say?” she asked softly, her fingers still brushing through his flaming red hair. 

Gaara didn’t reply, but suddenly he stopped. “We’re here.”

Ino looked forward, as she got down from his back, and saw as they were now standing on a large rock and about two feet away was the edge which led to the bottom of the waterfall. 

“Come,” Gaara said and grabbed her hand, an act which caused her to slightly flinch. He led her towards the edge and Ino quickly pulled her hand back. 

“I am NOT jumping off the waterfall with you,”

He almost rolled his eyes at her while smiling. “We’re not going to jump. Besides, it’s all rocks down there. We can sit over there by the edge.”

“...That’s dangerous…”

“We’ll be fine, now come on before someone else sits there,” Gaara said while grabbing her hand again and pulling her towards the edge. 

Ino hated heights, and she felt her heart beating faster as they neared the edge. Gaara sat down with his legs swung over the edge. Ino stood about a foot away from him while peaking at the bottom of the fall. Although the waterfall looked about fifteen feet, there were many pointy rocks on the bottom. 

“Come sit,” Gaara said, pulling her hand in order to get her down.

“Don’t freaking do that!” Ino screamed at him while crouched next to him, “What if I had slipped?”

“You won’t slip,”

“Pfft, that’s what you say Mr. I-don’t-get-tired. I can sit on my own. I...just need to hold your hand while doing so...”

Gaara watched her with an amused facial expression as she slowly sat down next to him and swung her legs over the rock as well, feeling some of the water trickling onto her legs. Ino let go of his hand but not before quickly grabbing his arm. Gaara raised an eyebrow at her and she glared at him.

“Don’t give me that look! I don’t have a good balance and I’m scared of slipping…”

“You won’t slip, Yamanaka…”

“And how would you know that? I’m just playing saf-Gaara!” Ino shrieked as Gaara abruptly pulled his arm back, causing the blonde nurse to panic. 

Ino could feel her heart hitting her stomach while trying to crawl back, but slipped as the somewhat wet smooth rock didn’t provide much friction. Seeing her panicked state with amusement, Gaara placed his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. Ino, taking advantage of their close proximity, pinched him hard by his side, causing him to flinch upward.

“You are an asshole,”

“...That actually hurt…”

“Good! You don’t know how many people I’ve treated because they’ve “accidentally” fallen off something and got serious injuries!”

“...I won’t let you fall,” he replied in a low tone, but it was enough for Ino to hear and she smiled warmly at him. 

Ino turned her head and watched as feet away from the bottom of the waterfall, teens were laughing and jumping into the river. The count of teens was even: three girls and three boys, and she could see how a blonde girl and a red-haired boy held hands while jumping inside. 

Ah, young love….

“Do you know how to swim?”

“Gaara, I am not jumping into that dirty water…”

“...I didn’t ask you just so we could jump into the river…”

“Oh…” Ino relaxed before smiling, “I do! I’m not the best, but I can float and swim a few laps. What about you?”

“...I would like to learn,” he said. 

“It’s a good skill to know. Is there a particular reason why you want to learn?”

“...I just do,” he said calmly while staring into the distance, and Ino wondered what he was thinking. There were things about him that confused her, and him having his arm around her shoulders was one of those things. It made her feel….different. And the little voice in the back of her mind was already whispering to her why it was making her feel that way.

“What does your tattoo say?” Ino asked before even realizing that she had asked such a question. 

“...It means… love.”

Ino blinked at his response, surprised that he would get a tattoo like that. She suddenly became more curious about the tattoo’s history.

“Why love?”

“...I rather not…” He said suddenly and looked away, and Ino felt an uncomfortable silence fall between the two of them. 

She remembered what Sakura had told her a few months ago, about how she had heard from Naruto that Gaara had been violent while growing up. His violent past had risen from his mother’s death. 

Not wanting to make things more awkward, Ino didn’t say anything else in regards to that matter and instead watched the group of teens as they continued to play in the river. It reminded her of the time her, Sakura, and Tenten had gone skinny dipping on their last day of high school. They had been having fun for about half an hour until Tenten noticed a creepy old man staring at them with drool on his mouth. What was worse was that the old man, who looked like he was in his seventies, had been in the process of taking his clothes off and jumping into the river as well. That had been enough to get the three teen girls out of the water as quickly as possible, and Ino shuddered at the memory. 

“Cold?” Gaara asked her, who still had his arm around her shoulders. 

“Nah, just remembering some bad memory.”

“How...bad?”

“Sakura, Tenten, and I once went skinny dipping in this small river… And some really old man was getting in and staring at us. He was almost completely naked and I remember seeing his saggy chest and UGH!”

Gaara smirked at her as Ino made a face of disgust. “...Maybe he just wanted your number-shit!”

Gaara rubbed his side as Ino glared at him. “You don’t understand the horrors of seeing an old hairy saggy man watching you as if you were a piece of steak!”

“Your pinches hurt, woman.” Gaara said, wrapping his arm teasingly around her neck. 

“I have sharp teeth,” Ino said with a glare, “Try choking me and I’ll bite you!”

“...Savage…” Gaara said in a low voice, but the smile on his face didn’t disappear as his arm lowered until they were wrapped around her chest. Ino took advantage of the position and placed her head by the crook of his neck, her forehead almost touching his chin.

The two remained quiet in that position for almost forty-five minutes, watching as people sat around the river down below, before getting up to hike back down. Gaara stood up first and then helped her stand, watching as she was keeping a close eye on the rock’s edge. They hiked down quietly, this time Gaara slowing down his pace so they could walk side by side. The hike down was much easier for her, and Ino felt energetic while climbing down. It was after twenty minutes of hiking that suddenly she realized something: she had to use the bathroom terribly. 

“I need to pee. Where’s the bathroom?”

“...All around you,” 

Ino frowned. “I refuse to pee on a bush.”

“...Then you should be OK holding it for another hour before we get home.”

The blonde girl growled frustratingly. She couldn't wait another hour. It was either pee by the bushes or-

“Fine! I’ll pee by a bush… But I need you to be on the lookout. I don’t want any more old saggy-looking men staring at me.”

“...What about saggy-looking old women?”

Had she not had the urge to pee, she would have pinched him a third time in order to get that small smirk off his face. But she had to pee… and terribly. 

She got off the hiking trail and looked around for a good spot, which wasn’t easy since there was so much tall grass and she knew that squatting down on them would make her ass itchy. After a couple of seconds, she found a good spot and smiled. 

“OK, I think I found a great spot! Now, stand behind that tree and make sure no one looks.”

“...And what do you want me to do if someone does?”

“I don’t know, punch them in the face or something! Just make sure that nobody looks!”

Gaara sighed and leaned against the tree, arms crossed in front of his chest as he heard her moving around about three feet away. Making sure not to turn his head too much to the right (or else he would catch a peeing Ino and her pinches were painful), Gaara observed his area quietly, simply moving his eyes back and forth. Luckily for his roommate, the majority of the hikers were still by the river. 

“OK, I am about to pee now! Don’t you dare look!”

“...What have you been doing for the last three minutes then?”

“I was getting my spot ready!”

Part of him wondered what she meant by that, but figured that it was probably better not to ask. Instead, he only gave her the device he remembered once giving Temari back when she first hiked with him and Kankuro.

“...Make sure there are no snakes around….”

Just as Ino had pulled her leggings and panties down, her eyes widened as she quickly looked around. 

“Wait, there are snakes around here!?”

“...Yup.”

“Gaara, you should have told me this earlier!”

“What difference does it make? Now go pee before someone sees you.”

Ino groaned and looked around again, making sure that there were no snakes around by the tall bushes she was squatting behind. As soon as she finished her business (cringing at the fact that she had no toilet paper), she pulled her clothing back up and ran out of towards her roommate, who looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

“Took you long enough,”

“Oh, I’m sorry I don’t have a penis and can’t simply just whip it out and aim onto a tree like you. Now let’s go. I need a shower.”

She turned around in a haste, not taking notice of how red his ears had become at her comment. But then again, he shouldn’t have been surprised at that. This was Ino Yamanaka, his spontaneous roommate who, most of the time, didn’t care and spoke whatever was on her mind. He walked a few inches behind her and watched her with a small smile as she continued walking rapidly down, deciding whether to tell her or not that there was dirt centered right on her ass. 

He eventually did, after ten minutes of staring and then noticing how other men had stared as well. And when he did, he had no choice but to jog away from her as she ran after him with her pinches for not telling her sooner.


	8. In Da Club

Jiraiya sighed, walking out of the house with his tense shoulders. It was very rare for someone to show up like this, looking for his wife. But considering the lawsuit that was going on, he shouldn’t have been surprised at the fact the man was stalking his home in order to get his wife’s attention. 

“You are trespassing!” Jiraiya said, watching as the man glared at him. 

The man, who was carrying a picture of a little girl, began to yell. “Where is Dr. Tsunade?! I’ve been trying to call her for weeks! I need to know what her lousy hospital did to cause my daughter Marylin to die!”

“You aren’t supposed to be here while the lawsuit is pending. If you wish to tell her something, you must speak with the lawyers first.”

“Where the hell is she?!”

“She’s not here-”

“Bullshit!” the angry father yelled while pointing a finger at Jiraiya. “I know she’s fucking here!”

“If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.” Jiraiya warned.

The heart-broken father continued his glare before taking a few steps back. “I’ll be back… and I will speak with her.”

Jiraiya didn’t say anything, watching as the man entered his vehicle and drove away. Letting a tired sigh, he pulled out his phone and texted his wife.

_ “He came back again…” _

Tsunade’s reply came in within seconds. _“I’ll let the lawyers know that he’s harassing us. He could lose the case if he continues…. And if he does, I’m actually concerned about what he could do. He is not stable.”_

* * *

Gaara wasn’t a party man, which automatically disqualified him as a clubbing man. However, after being invited by Ino to a nightclub in order to celebrate Sasuke’s recent job promotion, he figured why not. Also because his sister Temari had scolded him the night before for not “living the life” and sometimes “acting like an old man” (those were the only words he remembered as he blanked out for most of the conversation). 

So here he was, wearing black jean trousers with a short-sleeved white button down and a thin leather jacket. He was sitting in the back of a cab with Ino next to him, who wore a very short skirt and pink crop top. It was Friday night and as the cab got closer to the nightclub, he saw more people around the streets having fun. 

The cab double-parked in front of the club, and both of them got out. Gaara could hear the music blasting, and knew that this would be a really new experience for him. 

“Come on, let’s go!” Ino said, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the line. 

“Ino! Gaara!” 

Turning their heads, Ino beamed as she saw Sakura and Sasuke walking hand-in-hand towards them. While Sasuke wore jeans and a blue long-sleeve button down, Sakura wore a shiny gray thin-strapped dress that reached the middle of her thighs.

“Wow, you look great!” Ino said. “Love the dress!”

“Thanks and you look hot! I knew I should have worn my mini skirt…” Sakura said in a jealous tone, which caused Sasuke to narrow his eyes at her teasingly. 

The young man shook his head and looked at the red-haired man standing with them. “I’m surprised to see you here, Gaara.”

“I’m surprised to see myself here too…” he replied, which caused Ino to laugh. 

“I had Temari’s help in getting him out of the apartment and to live a little for once!”

“Help…” Gaara sighed underneath his breath as the four of them stood in line.

It took them about ten minutes of waiting before entering the club, which Gaara quickly hated as the loud music began to bother his ears. There were people everywhere, which was something he was not used to and personally hated. 

Ino dragged him towards the bar area, not bothering with asking him what he wanted. Although he had agreed on accompanying her, he did tell her that he would not drink. And after seeing some idiots making a fool of themselves on the dance floor while drunk, he knew that he was definitely staying away. 

Ino, Sakura, and Sasuke took a couple of shots before the latter two went on the dance floor as the music changed. Ino stared at them with a smile.

“Aren’t they adorable?” she asked loudly to him, her face already flushed from the drinks. 

Gaara didn’t even blink, choosing not to answer. There was barely any place to sit and he looked at his watch, already counting down the hours until they went home.

“C’mon, why don’t ya dance with me?” Ino asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him. 

“I don’t dance,” Gaara replied, and Ino pouted.

“Fine! I’ll just...dance by myself.”

And the blonde did exactly that. Except that as soon as she got on the dancefloor by herself, a young man quickly approached her. Gaara watched her closely as she danced with him. The guy had spiky brown hair and blue eyes, and he saw as Ino smiled sheepishly at him. The guy casually placed an arm around her waist, and part of him wondered if maybe he should have-

“Hey there!”

Turning his head to the right, Gaara saw a light-brown skinned girl approach him. She wore a white crop top with jeans. Her hair was extremely short, but she had a large smile plastered on her face.

“My name’s Fu. What’s yours?” she extended her hand out to him and Gaara stared at it for a second before shaking it.

“Gaara.”

“Gaara? Well, nice to meet you! This is the first time I’m seeing a guy not drinking or dancing at a club!”

“Well, we exist…” Gaara replied with a shrug. 

Fu smiled at him. “That’s nice to know. So if you don’t drink or dance, then why are you here?”

“Roommate dragged me here…” Gaara replied, nodding his head up and pointing at his dancing roommate.

Fu turned her head and laughed. “You mean that guy dancing with the blonde girl?”

Gaara smiled and shook his head. “Nah, not him. Her, the blond girl. She’s my roommate.”

Fu raised an eyebrow at him before looking back at Ino, who was now trying to walk away from her drunk dance partner. “Really, that’s your roommate? Well, she’s hot!”

“Yeah,” the words escaped his mouth before he was even able to think about a response.

“Are you two dating?”

“...No, just roommates.”

“Well, that’s good to know!” 

Gaara turned his head towards Fu, unsure of what to say. For a second, his heart skipped a beat. 

Noticing his confused look, Fu grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the dance floor, something that surprised him even more. 

The two stood near the center of the dance floor as the music changed. Smiling brightly, Fu wrapped her arms around his neck and danced as Gaara stood still, unsure of what to do. 

“...I...don’t dance…”

“Oh, come on! You can do it! How about a little drink to help loosen you up?”

“...I don’t drink…”

Fu rolled her eyes as she continued to dance. “Wow, you really ARE different. I’m liking you even more!”

* * *

Sasuke was the first one to notice, and although he disliked Sakura’s nosy and gossiping ways, he knew that something like this was worth telling her. And that, he did. As she grinded her hips against his, something that was causing him to feel warm by his abdomen, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

“As good as this feels, I think you should turn your head and see something interesting…”

“Hm, what is it?” Sakura asked, almost with a moan. The sensation of being wrapped around Sasuke’s arms was too much, but she loved it.

“Ino looks... troubled…”

“Eh, why? Some guy trying to pull something funny? I’m sure she’ll punch him in the face.”

“No, not that. Gaara’s with some girl...and the girl is dancing on him.”

Sakura’s eyes quickly widened and she stopped, spinning around and seeing just that. It was rare that she found Ino troubled (except for crazy hospital days), but it quickly confirmed her suspicion that as much as Ino would say no, the blond girl did have a crush on her red-haired roommate.

Ino stood still, ignoring some guy trying to get her attention, as she stared at the short-haired girl dancing around Gaara, who stood as still as a statue. 

“Let me go talk to her really quick,” Sakura said before walking over to her best friend. 

She moved around dancing bodies, her emerald eyes staying on her friend. A part of her suddenly became worried. 

“Hey, you OK?”

Ino blinked several times before turning her head towards her best friend. “Yeah! I am! Um...do you know who that girl is...with Gaara?”

“Nope, but he looks like a statue! He’s barely moving,” Sakura said, hoping that the comment would help her friend. 

However, Ino continued to stare with wide eyes and Sakura knew that she had to try harder. 

“C’mon, let’s go get drinks!”

The two joined Sasuke by the bar, Ino occasionally turning her head and watching as the girl continued to dance on Gaara. Something in her chest began to burn and Ino looked away with disgust.

The music changed after two minutes, which allowed Gaara to quickly step away from the dance floor as the next song began to play. Fu laughed at his reaction.

“You barely danced!”

“I told you, I don’t dance.”

Fu rolled her eyes. “What’s your number? Maybe we can do something you like. Do you like bowling or hiking?”

“...I typically go hiking with my brother. I think you’ll like him better.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” Fu said before pulling her smartphone out.

The two exchanged numbers before separating, Fu looking for her brothers around the club as Gaara turned back and headed towards the trio. 

“You’re back,” Sasuke teased.

“...Yeah, I finally am,” His teal eyes went to his blonde roommate, who was in the middle of sipping some alcoholic beverage. He expected her to say something, or at least look at him...but she didn’t. 

The four stayed at the nightclub for another half an hour, Sakura and Ino talking for some time before Sakura’s favorite song came on and she dragged Sasuke back to the dance floor. This had left an uncomfortable and drunk Ino by the bar, and the latter still had not turned to even acknowledge him. 

The song finished and a blushing Sakura walked back towards them. 

Sakura stood next to her best friend, grabbing the blond girl by the shoulder. “Hey, how many have you had so far?”

“I...lost...count…” Ino slurred, smiling at her best friend.

Sakura rolled her eyes at her, yet she knew what was going on through the blond girl’s head. “C’mon, let’s go get something to eat. It’ll help sober you up.”

“...I want...a burger,” Ino said and giggled. She stood up straight but quickly lost balance. Damn, was she really that wasted?

Unluckily for her (more like, luckily), Gaara quickly grabbed her by the arm and helped her stand up straight.

“I...I...I’m fine…” Ino said, giving him a glare. 

Gaara didn’t seem phased by her facial expression, and instead pulled her closer. “You’re drunk, woman. Let’s go get your food and then we’re going home.”

Ino hated him. She wasn’t sure why (she knew why, but she was too stubborn to admit it), but she didn’t want him near her. All she wanted to do was push him away and-

But darn did it feel good to be standing so close to him. And it wasn’t as if he was dragging her around. She felt goosebumps the moment he wrapped an arm around her waist while leading her towards the exit. And instead of being that strong woman and pushing him away, she placed her head on his shoulder and allowed him to lead her out of the club with Sasuke and Sakura right behind. 

Considering it was late, all of the restaurants were closed except for a 24-hour McDonald’s. The four friends entered the establishment, which only had three employees and one other customer inside. 

Not trusting Ino’s food choices while drunk, Sakura ordered a few different things from the menu: fries, chicken nuggets, and Coca Cola. 

They sat on a booth quietly, Ino munching happily on some chicken nuggets as Gaara stared at the food as if it was poison. 

“I gotta pee,” Ino blurted out as she stood on shaking legs.

Sakura stood up as well and grabbed her friend by the elbow, dragging her to the restroom, leaving the two young men in silence. 

As soon as they entered the restroom, Ino tiptoed towards a stall. Sakura watched with an amused expression as she heard Ino bump into something.

“Need help in there?”

“...No...I just...almost fell… I’ll be out soon...”

“Good! We need to have a conversation!”

“...’Bout what?”

“Oh, I think you know about what. Now hurry up and pee!”

Ino rolled her eyes from within the stall and although she still wasn’t one-hundred percent sober, she already knew what Sakura wanted to talk about. And truthfully, her heart and mind weren’t ready for it.

* * *

Sasuke stared at the red-haired man sitting across from him. He had met Gaara during the early years of high school - back when the red-haired man was disliked by many people due to his abrasive attitude. He remembered the time Rock Lee had decided to interrogate Gaara (for what reason, he couldn’t remember) and instead of having a teen to teen talk, the red-haired aloof teen ended up punching an overly annoying Rock Lee, prompting a quick high school fight as Rock Lee was no pushover either. While other students stared, Sasuke and Naruto split the two apart. And for the rest of that school day, Rock Lee rocked a black eye while Gaara a broken lip.

Sasuke wasn’t sure if Gaara, who was not completely different from his teenage years, even remembered that time. Unsure of how to strike a conversation with him, Sasuke grabbed a chicken nugget.

“Want one?”

Gaara turned his head towards him with a bored facial expression. “No.”

* * *

Right after Ino finished washing her hands, Sakura sat her on a chair and gave her a stern look. Ino, who was becoming sober (a little…), glared up at her.

“Wh-What was that for?!”

“Ino, do you like Gaara?”

“Huh?”

“Answer the question. I saw how you were looking at him when that chick was dancing on him.”

“...I don’t know what you are talking about. Gaara’s my roommate, that’s it. Plain and simple. He can dance with whatever ugly short-haired slut he wants.”

* * *

“So… How was the dancing?”

“What dance?” Gaara asked, looking at Sasuke from the corner of his eyes.

“The one with that short-haired girl.”

“...I wasn’t even dancing.”

“I know, but you were in the middle of the dance floor. That’s a step closer to dancing. Who was she, anyway?”

“Why do you care?”

Sasuke shrugged. “Just curious….”

Gaara stared at him for a while before turning away and replying. “...Her name’s Fu.”

* * *

Sakura stared at the text Sasuke had sent her just a few seconds ago and smiled. Although he wasn’t the gossiping type (and that would be weird if he was), Sasuke always helped her get the answers she needed.

Turning to her best friend, Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Well, I just found out that ugly short-haired slut’s name-”

“What’s her name?” Ino asked rapidly, mentally curing herself for falling into Sakura’s trap.

“Fu… Her name’s Fu…”

“Well, screw that bitch Fu…”

Sakura laughed. “I knew it! You are jealous!”

“I am not!”

“Then why is she a bitch?”

“...”

* * *

Striking a conversation with Naruto and Rock Lee was easy. Heck, it was easy with Neji Hyuga as well. But Gaara was neither of those men. And although adult Gaara was much more different than the teen he remembered many years ago, Sasuke never knew what to talk to the guy about. Gaara was always quiet. He barely spoke; and not because he was shy, but because he was naturally a quiet guy. So, Sasuke cleared his throat and asked the only thing that came to his head.

“...You and Rock Lee talk?”

Gaara glanced at Sasuke from the corner of his eyes. “Not much,”

“Ah, I see. I was hoping to have a guy’s night. Watching football and drinking some beer.”

“...I don’t drink,”

* * *

Ino hated being scolded by her mother. And right now, Sakura was acting just like her mother. 

“Sakura, for the tenth time, I do not have a crush on Gaara. That is...weird. He’s my roommate.”

“Him being your roommate doesn’t matter. He’s not your brother or some relative. There’s nothing wrong with having a crush on him-”

“Which I don’t-”

“But I think once you sober up, you may want to ask yourself and really be sure that you don’t. I don’t want to see you heartbroken,”

Ino stood up and hugged her. “Thanks, girl. But I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me! Anyway, let’s get back. The boys must be bored.”

The two of them exited the restroom and walked back towards Gaara and Sasuke. 

“It’s past two,” Sasuke said while glancing at his watch and then facing Sakura. “Ready to leave?”

Sakura nodded and Sasuke quickly ordered a taxi for them. 

Gaara glanced at his roommate, who sat with her back towards him. “I’ll get us a cab, Ino.”

“Hmmm,”

Gaara raised an eyebrow at her, but continued to request the cab via his smartphone. 

It took about five minutes for both cabs to arrive and then another fifteen minutes before each pair reached home. 

Although Ino was finally reaching sobriety, the alcohol in her body was now causing her to be extremely sleepy. She stumbled up the staircase towards their apartment and as much as she wanted to push him away, she liked the way he had grabbed her arm and ensured that she didn’t fall flat on her face.

Gaara unlocked the apartment door and led them inside, closing and locking it immediately. 

“Do you want water?” he asked and Ino shook her head, resting her head on his shoulder as her eyelids became heavier and heavier. 

“OK,” Gaara said with a sigh, “Bed it is.”

He lifted her up bridal style and headed towards her room, careful not to bump her head against the frame of the door like Kankuro had done months ago. Pushing the bedroom door with his foot, he walked inside and placed her on top of her bed. He removed her shoes and placed the blanket over her body. 

“...Thank you…” Ino sighed with a smile on her face, and Gaara smiled back. 

“No problem. Get some sleep,” he said, walking out of her room and closing the door. 

He entered his room and laid down on the bed tiredly, glad to be away from that nightclub and the overbearing loud music. It was late and he was also getting sleepy. 

Getting his phone out from his pocket, he looked at the brand new text message he had received not too long ago.

_ Unknown Number: “Hey, this is Fu! We met at the club not too long ago. I enjoyed chatting with you! I would like to grab a coffee with you soon.” _

Gaara ran a hand through his hair tiredly before replying back.

_ “Sure. Let me know when you want to go.” _


	9. Unanswered Text

The ladies sat around Ino’s coffee table, small bottles of different colored nail polish scattered around them. It had been a while since Ino had her nails done, and out all of them, Hinata was the best at doing nails. The girl was gifted. She was perfect at making different symmetrical designs. 

Ino made a fanning movement with both of her hands in order to get the paint to dry as Hinata sat next to Tenten to do hers next. 

“How’s that court case going with the hospital?” Tenten asked while keeping her hands still as Hinata began to paint her nails. 

“Actually, tomorrow is the court date,” Sakura replied, “Dr Tsunade will be there…. Some medical experts outside of our hospital will be there.”

“They haven’t told us much also,” Ino added, “But that man seems very unstable. Even with extra security, he still managed to get in and yell at everybody.”

“Why hasn’t he been arrested yet?” Tenten asked, “He’s harassing the hospital at this point. Has he hurt anybody?”

“He pushed one of the front desk secretaries the day before yesterday,” answered Sakura, “But then he ran away. He’s very...unstable. I’m wondering what crazy stunt he’ll pull if he loses the case tomorrow.”

Ino nodded while looking at the time in her clock. It was Wednesday night, almost close to ten, and so far her roommate hadn’t come home from work. Considering she has been living with him for many months now, she already knew his schedule. It mostly consisted of work, gym, and sometimes hanging out with Naruto or Kankuro. But even on those days, he would be back before eight. 

Using her index finger, she carefully unlocked her phone and began to text him.

_ “Hey, you OK? Just making sure you didn’t get kidnap by someone and need my rescue ;)” _

“Who are you texting with that smile?” Sakura asked with a smirk, and Ino rolled her eyes at her. Nosy Sakura.

“I was just texting Gaara to see if he was OK. He’s usually home by now.”

“Well, maybe he’s on a date?” Tenten suggested and Ino rolled her eyes again.

“Pfft, as if…”

“Well, that could be a possibility,” Sakura said, causing the blonde girl to glare at her. “He could be out on a date with that girl from the club.”

“What girl from the club?” Tenten asked, accidentally moving her hand and causing Hinata to paint her finger. “Oops, sorry Hinata! I promise I’ll stay still this time.”

“I-It’s OK!” Hinata said, grabbing a piece of cotton and nail polish remover and removing the paint from Tenten’s finger. 

“When we went to the club this past Friday, Gaara actually met a girl… Her name is Fu,”

“Really? I never imagined Gaara to be the type of guy to be searching for girls at a club. I wonder if Neji knows about this…” Tenten added, considering that both men worked at the same company and were in the same team. 

“Well, it’s not like he went searching for girls,” Ino added, mentally telling herself to keep her cool, “She approached him and decided to dance on him. And if you had seen him that night, you would’ve thought that he was some statue or something! He was barely moving!”

Tenten and Sakura looked at each other and smirked, and Ino furrowed her eyebrows. “What are you two plotting against now?”

“You like him, Ino Yamanaka.”

“I said the same thing!” Sakura pointed at Tenten. 

“I do not like him! He’s my roommate! That would be weird!”

“Oh, cut the bullshit!” Tenten said, “I remember the day I came here to pick up my dog and you two looked like you were about to make out.”

Hinata and Sakura gasped, both of their heads turning towards the blue-eyed girl. 

“Wait, you and Gaara were kissing?”

“No, Forehead! We did not kiss! We just...I just tripped and he caught me. That’s all! But there’s nothing going on between me and roomie!” 

“...B-But you still l-like him, right?” Hinata asked with a shy smile. 

Ino shook her head while taking a deep breath. “I will say this one last time… I do not have a crush on Gaara. I like him as a friend, but that’s it!”

“...So, you wouldn’t be jealous if he went on a date…?” Tenten asked with a raised eyebrow and Ino shook her head.

“...How about a date with Fu….?” 

Ino groaned at the pink-haired girl. “Alright, can we switch topics?! No more Gaara questions! Anyone here have something else to talk about?”

The ladies looked at each other in silence. With all of them working full time, there was barely any room for gossiping and knowing who was doing what nowadays. It was easier to gossip in high school and college. But now that majority of the people they knew moved out of the state, it was harder to know what was going on with them. 

Sakura cleared her throat while placing a strand of hair behind her ear. “W-Well, I do have...some news… I took a test yesterday...and...I’m pregnant.”

The room went quiet for a couple of seconds before Tenten and Ino squealed in delight and Hinata turned towards the pink-haired girl. 

“Wait, seriously Forehead?!”

“Yes, Ino-pig, I am serious.”

“Wh-When did you f-find out?”

“Two days ago… I took a test and it came back positive. I took another one this morning just to make sure it wasn’t a false positive and it came positive.”

“That is great! How did Sasuke react to the news?” Tenten asked. 

“He’s happy,” Sakura replied, “We both agreed that we would wait a little longer before telling either of our families. So… I would appreciate it if we kept this a secret,”

“Don’t worry, we will.” Ino said. 

The ladies continued chatting about the pregnancy, asking the pink-haired girl what she hoped it would be: boy or girl. Sakura said that she didn’t care what gender the baby would be, but that Sasuke hoped that it would be a girl. The rest of the ladies awed at that fact, all of them finding it adorable that someone like Sasuke would want a girl. 

They continued chatting and drying their newly painted nails for another fifteen minutes before the sound of the door unlocking and opening grabbed their attention. Turning their heads towards the door, they watched as a nicely-dressed Gaara stepped inside the apartment. He wore black trousers with a gray button-down shirt and his black leather jacket on top. His hair, usually a mixture of spiky and messy, was gelled nicely back. 

Upon noticing their glances, Gaara faced them with a confused look. “What?”

Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata looked at each other as Ino gave a nervous giggle. “H-Hey, you’re back! I texted you a while ago… I thought you had been kidnapped…. Or something…”

_Damn, he looks good..._

Gaara stared at her for a few seconds before replying while heading towards his room. “Oh… No, I was out with someone.”

Out with someone. Ino wanted to ask him with whom but quickly stopped herself, remembering that he was her roommate, not her boyfriend. It wasn’t her business to question him about such manners. 

“Oh, he was definitely on a date,” Tenten muttered the moment he disappeared into his room and closed the door.

“I agree,”

“Me too,” added Hinata right after Sakura. 

Ino sighed and turned her focus towards her phone. “Pfft, whatever,”

The other three ladies gave each other a worrying look as Ino unlocked her phone and opened her text messaging app. Almost immediately her finger pressed on the text she sent Gaara earlier, her heart beating fast as she noticed that he had read her message, but never responded. 


	10. Troublesome woman

It was another clear Saturday morning as Ino woke up from her deep sleep. It had been another long day at the hospital for her last night that upon arriving home, she had quickly taken a shower and gone to bed. 

A soft knock on her door had her sitting up slowly, her long tresses cascading around her body. Pushing her blankets off her body, Ino got up from the bed and walked over to the door. At this hour, there could only be one person who would be knocking.

“Yes, Roomie?” she asked while opening the door, her head leaning against the door frame as she stared half sleepily at him. 

“Did I wake you up?”

“Nah, I was already awake. What’s up?”

“Come hike,” he said. 

“Huh? What, Kankuro ditched you or something?”

“...No,” Gaara replied, and then grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of her room, “Go get ready,”

Ino rolled her eyes. “You do realize that I’m not wearing any pants…”

His eyes wondered downward for a few seconds and Ino cursed herself for not being quick enough and kneeing him between the legs. His teal eyes met hers again.

“...Not the first time I’ve seen you in panties,”

Her stomach did backflips, and she wasn’t sure if it was because she was currently in a white top and blue panties...or because Gaara had seen her plenty of times in her panties. While it didn’t bother her previously that he had seen her in underwear (heck, she was a nurse and there were times where she had to be quick when leaving the house), today was...different. She suddenly became self-conscious of her body, a million questions running through her mind. 

Did she moisturize her legs enough?

Had he seen her in her ugly, older panties? Come on, every woman owned at least one of those. 

“Ino,”

“Y-Yes?” she asked, shaking her head and removing those thoughts. 

“Go get dressed,”

“Oh, yes! Give me some time!”

Smiling sheepishly, she walked inside her bedroom and closed the door. Maybe it was time to wear shorts to bed?

It took her about thirty minutes to get ready, and another ten for her to eat a quick breakfast. 

The sun shone much brighter today, and residents took advantage of the beautiful weather as they packed for a day at the beach. Instead of wearing her long workout leggings, she opted in for some black gym shorts which reached the middle of her thighs.

Ino and Gaara took the train and then walked towards the park they had previously visited for hiking. Although it has been a while, Ino smiled as she felt a happy feeling swell in her chest. The weather was lovely, and it had been a while since she had been out. But it wasn’t just the outdoors that was making her happy. Being around Gaara made her happy. Don’t get her wrong - she always enjoyed his presence. But it had been a while since the two of them really interacted and being around him made her-

“Gaara!”

Ino didn’t realize she had been smiling the whole time as they reached the park, and upon seeing that familiar girl from the club, her smile fell into a frown. The short haired girl ran up to them and hugged her red-haired roommate, a bright smile on her face. 

Ino felt her knees become weak. 

The girl, Fu, finished hugging him and then turned her attention towards her. Her smile seemed to widen even more and Ino wasn’t sure what to do.

“Hi! You must be Ino!”

The girl knew her name? 

Ino simply blinked while standing still, knowing that Gaara was looking towards her direction. 

Fu jogged up to her and, to her surprise, gave her a hug. Fu giggled as she then grabbed Ino’s hand.

“My name is Fu! I’m so happy to finally be meeting you!”

She was happy to meet her?

Unsure of what to say, Ino forced a small smile as she muttered a shaky “Hi,”. 

Fu turned back to Gaara and grabbed his arm, “Come on! Let’s go start hiking! Let’s go see the waterfall!”

Ino seemed to have spaced out again, her attention coming back once Gaara called her name. 

“Ino, are you OK?”

She blinked several times before nodding, following them as they began their hike. 

Ino chose to walk about a foot or two behind them, feeling her legs feel both light and heavy. Even though she was hydrated and the slope wasn’t steep (yet), she took deeper breaths in order to calm her frantically beating chest. She felt as if she was in a trance, waiting for someone to just wake her up from the nightmare. 

Why was no one waking her up?

Although it hurt, she couldn’t keep her gaze away from them. Fu was talkative. Extremely talkative. Ino wasn’t sure if Gaara was even paying attention to her, considering he kept his gaze forward majority of the time. 

Did he invite her?

Was it just coincidence that she was with them?

Ino wasn’t sure, but in a way it didn’t matter. It still ached, her steps slowing down unintentionally. 

Fu must’ve said something that caught her roommate’s attention, because for once Gaara turned towards the short-haired girl and smiled. The girl smiled even wider at him before grabbing his hand...

The scene took Ino by surprise, making her feel as if someone had punched her in the gut.

_I can’t do this…_

No matter how beautiful the weather was, Ino wanted nothing more than to leave. She felt bad thinking such things, but watching Fu act very comfortably around Gaara was destroying her. She just couldn’t take it anymore.

Ino stopped walking in her tracks, staring at Gaara’s back as he continued walking. His gaze was back towards the trail ahead of them, hands dug inside the pockets of his pants. But the girl’s arm was still linked around his.

Knowing that it was either now or never, Ino turned around and jogged back down. She wondered if she should turn around and see if he noticed that she had left. While part of her was curious, she thought that it was better not to. 

Reaching the park exit, Ino decided that it was better to order a cab than walk and take the train back. She just wanted to get home.

* * *

_ **One week ago…** _

_The man took a deep breath, his hands shaking as the judge sitting in front of them looked through some documents. She had short-hair, her face round as her glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. While she continued reviewing, he turned towards the right and inspected the people from the other side._

_The hospital had brought good lawyers. Expensive lawyers. He could never afford such lawyers. All he was able to afford was some stupid college student to represent him. But considering how hectic the court hearing was, the man knew that he was going to lose. _

_He shifted his gaze so it landed on the blond woman. Dr. Tsunade… _

_The bitch sat with the three lawyers that the hospital had appointed. The woman held her facial expression, never once showing any emotion as she recounted the day in which the hospital had been tremendously overwhelmed by the victims of the plane accident. _

_He wanted to put a bullet through her head. Maybe she would show some emotion then?_

_The judge had been talking, and the man had been too busy glaring at the doctor to have caught the majority of the words. However, his head snapped back as the judge finished her verdict._

_“...and therefore, I am dismissing this case. No evidence of foul play was presented to me. Considering the events that day, the hospital acted appropriately and treated each patient fairly…”_

_The man turned his head back towards Dr. Tsunade, noticing how her facial expression still remained neutral. _

_...As if this court hearing didn’t matter…_

_...As if his feelings didn’t matter!_

_...As if daughter Marylin didn’t matter..._

_Yes, he would put a bullet in her fucking head…_

_...And just maybe, she would feel then…._

* * *

Ino groaned loudly as she was woken up from her nap, feeling deja vu hit her as her head slowly lifted up. She immediately laid back down on the pillow as she grabbed her sheets and shifted them over her head. 

But the moment someone else grabbed her sheets, Ino’s eyes snapped open and she led out a yelp. 

“Relax, it’s me.”

Sitting up and blinking several times, Ino could make out the outline of her roommate’s body as he stood right by her bed. 

Why was he in her room?

“...Wh-What are you doing here?”

Gaara turned around and flipped the switch, causing Ino to groan again and pull the pillow over her head. This was definitely not helping her headache…

“Gaara, what the hel-”

“Why did you leave like that?”

Ino blinked several times before pulling the pillow away from her head, her gaze meeting her bedroom floor. His tone sounded...angry. And to be frank, she had never seen an angry Gaara before.

“Ino,” he called out again. 

“Wh-What?”

“Why did you walk away like that?”

The blonde-haired beauty closed her eyes and began to think, quickly remembering how he had woken her up this morning for hiking. She had been eager until-

...Fu.

That’s right.

The short-haired girl had showed up and hiked with them, and seeing both of them look friendly to each other had started bothering her.

And in her mind, the only thing to do from there was...leave, without even telling him.

“Why won’t you answer?”

Ino took a deep breath and answered, still refusing to meet his faze. She just didn’t know what to say, the only thing coming to her mind quickly escaped her lips. “I….didn’t feel well…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“...It...wasn’t a big deal…?” Ino replied with a shrug, forcing herself to look at him for the first time. 

He still wore the same gym outfits from this morning, and she wondered at what time he had gotten home. 

“I thought something had happened to you. I called you several times. I was worried,”

Guilt slammed into her as she recalled ignoring his first call while she had been in the cab. She had then turned off her phone after that. She just didn’t know what to say to him. 

“Sorry, my phone actually died….and I fell asleep after that. Terrible headache…”

Gaara didn’t look convinced. He stood about a foot away from her bed with his arms crossed in front of his chest, and Ino looked away. The guilt grew even more as he kept staring at her, as if studying her and her lie. It was after a while in which he spoke again.

“...I’m sure drinking wine won’t help with your headache,” 

Ino eyed the near empty bottle on her nightstand and rolled her eyes. Upon reaching home, she had snatched her remaining bottle of wine before lying down for a nap. Heck, she didn’t even remember falling asleep. 

She didn’t say anything as Gaara exited her room, the door of her room closing right behind him.

* * *

Gaara sighed as he sat on the corner of his bed, his own head hurting too. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he saw ten new text messages from Fu. He opened the first one, followed by the second and third. And on the fourth, he placed his phone down and sighed, feeling his mind constantly drifting towards his blonde-haired roommate. 

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he remembered something Shikamaru had always said and couldn’t help but agree, even though the guy would always say it about his sister.

Women can be troublesome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment and let me know what you think! Thank you so much who have reviewed, liked, and bookmarked!


	11. Dirty Dishes

It had been another hectic day at the hospital, but Ino kept her calm as her day consisted of walking from one end of the building to the other. It was a rainy Wednesday morning, and although there weren't many patients, a lot of doctors and nurses chose to take the day off, including Dr. Tsunade. After the court ruling, the older woman decided that she needed a break from work and had travelled out of the country with her husband, Jiraiya, for a mini-vacation. Considering the long hours the woman had pulled in order to prepare for the court date, Ino felt that her boss truly deserved it.

The thought of a mini-vacation sounded nice to Ino as well. And part of her didn't mind taking it alone. Ever since the hiking incident, Fu had decided to visit the apartment almost every day. The girl wouldn't stop talking while watching TV with Gaara, and Ino was surprised that her roommate hadn't kicked the girl out yet.

"Hey, you OK?"

Ino blinked several times before giving Sakura a small smile. "Sorry, I spaced out for a second."

Her pink-haired friend raised an eyebrow at her. "Is everything OK? You've seemed down lately."

"...I'm fine. I guess I just need a break,"

"From what?"

Ino paused for a few seconds, trying to come up with an answer. "Not sure. Part of me wants some alone time,"

"Ino, you are single and have your own room and bed… Alone time from wh- Is everything OK with Gaara?"

The blonde nodded while pressing her lips tightly, "Mhmm… Yup, he's fine… I mean, he's OK… Everything's OK,"

"Oh, cut the bullshit, Ino. What's truly going on? Is it that girl again? Fu? Is she and Gaara...dating?"

Ino shrugged sadly, unaware of her actions now as she frowned. "I don't know. But she's been around more lately...and...I don't know what they are. And part of me is scared of finding out."

Sakura felt sorry for her. She couldn't imagine being in that situation and having to deal with it. It had reminded her of the time when Sasuke's "good friend Karin" would get a tad bit too touchy with him and although Sasuke would always brush her off, to this day it always made Sakura uneasy.

"Anyway, let's talk about something else!" Ino said unexpectedly, forcing a smile.

"A-Are you sure? If you want to talk about it, it's OK. I'm here to listen,"

"I rather not talk about it," Ino said, stabbing a tomato with her fork, "Besides, he's just my roommate. So, how's the pregnancy?"

At the question, Sakura smiled before rubbing her small abdomen. "I still get some morning sickness, but it's not as bad. But I've started craving chicken tacos a lot. The good thing is that there's a taco place nearby and Sasuke always gets them for me!"

"Have you guys decided about your living situation?"

Sakura nodded. Currently, her and Sasuke shared a one-bedroom apartment and while the place wasn't small, it wasn't spacious either. "He wants us to buy a house at least two years after I give birth. Nothing too big, maybe a two or three-bedroom."

"You're not moving out of the state, are you?!" Ino asked, and Sakura giggled.

"No, we're not. We won't be moving far. But we won't be within the city either. So your perky butt will have to take the bus to see me!" Sakura teased.

"You know my perky ass will be there to babysit your kid while you and Sasuke go have your _fun_,"

The girls giggled, both of them remembering telling each other almost a decade ago how they would each babysit each other's children.

There had also been other promises made that day, and thinking about one of them clearly, Sakura grabbed Ino's hand. Ino raised an eyebrow at her, examining her face to see what her friend was about to do.

"Ino, there's something else I need to ask of you… And if you say no, it's totally OK! I know it's a HUGE commitment and can be a bit costly too. But, would you...be my maid of honor?"

The blonde choked on a tomato at first, taken by surprise at such a question. "W-Wait… Sakura, are you serious? Are you sure? Oh my God! Wait! Does that mean that Sasuke...proposed?"

Her friend nodded happily. "Yup! He did! He doesn't want our little one born to unmarried parents, and he and I prefer to have a wedding before I hit five months. It won't be anything extravagant. We want it simple with just family and close friends."

Ino nodded. "I understand,"

"So...what do you say?"

"What do I say? Well, of course I accept, Forehead girl! Have you decided who'll be your bridesmaid?"

Sakura nodded, "Yup! Tenten, Temari, and Hinata. I already asked Temari, and she said yes. I'm going to see Hinata today, so I'll ask her there and will call Tenten tomorrow."

"Oh, this is so freaking exciting!" Ino exclaimed loudly, causing people around them to look at her confusingly before shrugging and continuing with their business. It wasn't the first time Nurse Yamanaka had boasted out loud about something.

The news of becoming Sakura's maid of honor lifted Ino's spirits for the next couple of hours. As she tended her patients and performed her duties, she was already planning on what to do as soon as she got home. Although it was exciting to be her best friend's maid of honor, it still brought some anxiety onto the blonde young lady considering she had never done this before. However, there was the Internet and her mother, of course, who had been a maid of honor for three of her friends throughout her lifetime. If there was one person to ask for advice, it was definitely her.

"You're very happy today," said one of her colleagues, and Ino faced the older man.

"Yup! I just got some great news and well, I'm happy!"

The man nodded, "That's good. Life's too short to let sadness take over."

Ino agreed with him as she continued entering some patient information, telling herself to be careful as her mind went back to many questions:

What color should the bridemaid's dresses be? Peach always suited white, as did teal.

How long should the dresses be? Well, considering it was very warm, something knee-length would be appropriate. An ankle-length dress could work too, depending on its style.

What about hairstyle? Out of the five of them, Temari was the only one with short hair. But that didn't matter, as there were beautiful hairstyles for each length.

Heels? Oh, she already knew that she would have to train Tenten on how to walk on those things. The poor girl couldn't stand an evening with them without having Neji to carry her home.

Nails? That was easy - Hinata Hyuga herself can do all of their nails, considering the girl was gifted at it.

A loud bang by the hospital entrance caused Ino to flinch and almost drop her papers.

"Where the hell is she?!"

Ino gasped as she quickly recognized that voice. It was Marylin's father again, and he carried a large picture of his dead daughter as he strolled into the lobby.

"Excuse me, sir, but you are creating a ruckus." said one of the senior male doctors, and the angry father growled at him.

"This hospital should be shut down over the wrongful death of my daughter!" the man yelled, causing family members of admitted patients to look around skeptically. "All of you should be punished, especially that Dr. Tsunade...and _her_,"

Ino flinched as the man pointed a finger at her, her mouth suddenly becoming dry as she wasn't sure what to say back.

The man took a few more steps towards her, his finger still pointing at her as the hand holding his daughter's picture shook. "You said you would take care of my daughter, but instead you let her die!"

"...I...n-no.. Sh-She…"

"Don't fucking lie!" the man yelled again, "You and that doctor let her die. You both should be thrown in jail! I should fucking sue you for wrongful death, Yamanaka!"

The way he spat out her last name made it seem as if her name was a curse. And unsure of what to say, Ino remained silent as a heavy feeling began to build in her chest. She hoped that the man would go away, considering that he had already lost his lawsuit against the hospital and Dr Tsunade. Why was he going after her now?

"I'm going fucking sue you, Nurse Yamanaka-"

"Please leave before we call the police and have you arrested again!" Shizune appeared angrily, her temper flaring upon seeing the same man. "The judge threw your case out. You are wasting our time with false accusations."

The man looked around for a moment, as if unsure of how to reply. He took a couple of steps back before eyeing Ino one more time, saying in a low but audible voice. "I won't forget you, bitch."

With that last threat, he stomped out of the hospital.

"Ino, are you OK?" Shizune asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Ino blinked several times before giving her a slow nod. "Yeah? I think so… I think I just...need a fifteen break,"

"That's fine. But please don't let that man's words get to you. He already lost the case. I will let Tsunade know what happened once she comes back. You're still doing an awesome job, and there will always be times where we can't save everyone."

Ino nodded at her before heading towards the back of the hospital, telling herself that all she needed was some fresh air.

The rest of the afternoon went by fast, and Ino looked forward to getting home and starting her research on everything she had to do for Sakura's wedding. She would not let herself slack off and fail her best friend.

However, the man's words still haunted her and while heading home, Ino thought of nothing else but that. Even though the airplane crash had been due to pilot error, according to published reports from a few days ago, Ino still felt guilty over Marylin's death. She wasn't naive. She knew that as someone working in the medical field, not everyone can be saved, including children. But Maryling reminded her of herself - blonde hair, blue eyes, and outspoken. It was unfortunate that the little girl had to be on that plane on that day.

Sighing as she reached her apartment, Ino unlocked the door and gasped at the unpleasant sight in front of her.

There were dirty dishes, cups, and pots all over the kitchen counter. There were spills of what looked like tomato sauce on the floor and above the stove.

She immediately knew that there was only one person who could make such a mess... Fu.

Ever since Gaara had brought Fu into their apartment, the girl always decided to "try some new recipe", and that new recipe always ended up in disaster. The last thing she had attempted to make was banana bread. The thing had come out terrible. She knew it had come out terrible not because she had tried it, but because Gaara had thrown out the whole thing the moment Fu left after cleaning up her mess.

Ino growled as she walked inside and glared at the dirty objects, hoping that they would get up and clean themselves. She had a very long day and really didn't feel like getting her hands dirty. What she would really like was to grab Fu by her hair and force the bitch to clean up after herself.

But knowing that neither she or Gaara were home, and that the longer the dishes and stains stayed, the worse it would be to clean up later, Ino opened the bottom of the sink and grabbed an extra sponge. She would clean up this time, but would make sure to give an earful to her roommate.

Opening the empty dishwasher, Ino turned on the sink faucet and began to scrub off some of the stains before placing the dishes and cups inside. She then proceeded with the spatulas, forks, and spoons, cursing mentally at the mozzarella cheese stuck to a few of them. After a couple of scrubs, she placed those items in the dishwasher and proceeded with the pots and the baking dish right underneath.

Drizzling more soap into the sponge, she washed the pots quickly, scrubbing hard to remove the overcooked pasta stuck at the bottom. Afterwards, she rinsed it and dried it with a paper towel. After putting it away, she proceeded to the baking dish and frowned even more as she saw more pasta stuck to it and immediately, Ino figured out what the dumb girl had been trying to bake. Lasagna.

Grabbing a scouring pad, she began to use all of her strength to remove the food particles from the baking dish. Her thin fingers began to hurt, and Ino cursed as she took a break. She continued to scrub but knew that the food, considering it was burnt, wasn't going to come out easily. Giving up, Ino grabbed some baking soda and vinegar, and created a solution to help dissolve the food.

While that sat there in the sink, Ino grabbed another scouring pad and began to wipe the stains off the stove. The task didn't take long, and the kitchen was finally looking much better. The only thing left, aside from the baking dish, was the floor. Considering the stain was in just one area (and she had mopped the floor a few days ago), Ino decided to simply use a disinfecting wet wipe to clean it off.

Since the kitchen pantry wasn't that large, cleaning supplies had been placed over the cabinets and whenever she needed something, she would get Gaara to fetch it for her. But with him not home, she knew that she would need to climb on top of the kitchen counter.

Taking off her shoes and socks, Ino lifted herself on top of the counter and slowly stood up. Considering the cabinets above the counter were large, she had limited space and held onto a cabinet door for support. Any misstep and she knew that she would end up on the floor. Stretching her arm, she grabbed the pack of wipes and grinned.

Success!

"Crap...How am I going to get down?" she asked herself, one hand still holding the cabinet door and the other holding the object.

She heard the door open and close, and turning her head, saw her roommate walking inside. He raised a barely visible red eyebrow at her.

"You're going to fall,"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, but I needed to grab this because someone had to clean this mess…"

Gaara turned his head and sighed, "I was going to clean it up after dropping her home…"

"Oh… well… I wasn't sure when you were going to be home… so I went ahead and did it. I hate seeing our kitchen left in such disgusting state,"

She wanted to also add in that Fu should have cleaned up, but she wasn't sure how Gaara would take such a comment. They never had any roommate problems before, and Ino didn't want one to start just because the short-haired bitch didn't know how to clean.

"Let me help you," Gaara said, walking towards her. "Give me the wipes."

Ino gave him the object and watched as he placed it on the kitchen counter before turning his attention back to her, lifting his arm up towards her.

"What?"

"...Your hand, Ino."

"For what?"

"To help you get down,"

"...Oh… Don't worry, I can do this myself."

"You're going to fall."

"No, I'm not. All I have to do is just lower myself like this and-Gaara, what the heck! I had it!"

Her roommate had grabbed her the moment she had lowered herself on the counter top, picking her up and now carrying her bridal style. His actions confused her, and by the look on his face, she knew that he was just as confused as well. But he didn't let her go, and a tingly feeling stirred within her.

Ever since bailing out on him and Fu during the hike, her and Gaara's interactions had lessened, something that bothered her tremendously. She would sometimes wonder what he would be thinking about it, or whether he was thinking about it at all.

But as good as this felt, Ino knew that it was wrong. As much as she didn't like Fu, this still wasn't fair to her.

"You were going to fall," Gaara finally spoke, his arms still holding her.

"I was not," Ino replied before trying to wiggle herself out of his hold, "You can put me down now, you know…"

The red-head blinked once more before slowly putting her down. He watched her closely as she grabbed the pack of cleaning wipes and handed it over to him with a smile.

"The rest is for you to clean!"

And with a bright smile, she walked towards her room to prepare for her new duty as Sakura's maid of honor. But upon sitting on the edge of her bed, Ino sighed and rubbed her upper arms, missing the feeling of him holding her.

_Gaara, what the heck are you doing to me..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for those who left me a comment! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and stay safe!


	12. The News

_Ino finished preparing her dinner, a chicken salad with avocado on top. It was already eight in the evening, and she could still hear the living room TV on. As usual, Fu was in the apartment watching TV. But this time was different. Gaara had to leave to see his sister, and instead of leaving, Fu had decided to stay and Ino wasn't sure on how to tell the girl to leave. Sitting on the dining table, the blonde nurse decided to pretend that the girl wasn't there and eat her dinner in peace._

_She had called a couple of bridal stores and set an appointment with each of them for all of them to try on dresses for Sakura's wedding. And while Ino took care of the dresses and flowers, Tenten took care of preparing the wedding invitations and Hinata ordered new colors of nail polish. Temari took care of reserving an appointment for hair and makeup. Sakura had texted all of them this morning, letting them know that the date had been set, and the wedding would be exactly four months from today._

_"Hey Ino,"_

_Ino's hand paused, just as she was about to take another bite, as Fu appeared in front of her. The girl grabbed a chair and sat down across from her, a nervous smile on her face._

_"...Hi," Ino replied, her stomach becoming uneasy as the girl across from her looked at her._

_"S-Sorry! I know this is weird… and we don't really speak…"_

_"OK," Ino said simply, her foot tapping on the floor impatiently. What did this girl want?_

_Fu giggled nervously. "Ino...I...would really like to get to know you. I hear so many cool things about you...and I would like to spend some girl time with you and get to know you!"_

_Ino's chest tightened, and she bit her inner cheek in order to stop herself from saying something not too nice. "And who's been saying cool things about me?"_

_"Why Gaara, of course! He talks very highly of you!"_

_Ino felt her heart beat faster, feeling conflicted over what she just said. Why was Gaara talking about her?_

_"I see," Ino said._

_Fu nodded, letting an awkward silence fall between them before speaking up again. "If you don't mind me asking...but...are you going to live with Gaara again? After your lease is over?"_

_Ino thought about her question, mentally counting down the number of months left in the lease, which was about four and a half. But in two months, they had to let the office know whether they would continue leasing the same apartment or not. It was something she and Gaara hadn't discussed yet, but knew that they would have to soon._

_"I haven't thought about it," she replied, "Why do you ask?"_

_Fu scratched the back of her head nervously. "...Well...I was just...wondering if Gaara would live alone. Or if he wanted to move out and still need another roommate, I-I could be it."_

_Ino felt her heart skip a beat as she tried to keep her breathing leveled. She already knew what Fu was trying to do. But instead of cursing the girl out for trying to wiggle herself into her personal life, Ino used this time to ask more questions._

_"Have you spoken to Gaara about it? About what he wants to do?"_

_"Yeah, I did. But he didn't really say much, as usual. I don't know," Fu added, this time sounding a little frustrated, "He doesn't really say much to me. Sometimes, I feel as if he either doesn't listen to me or… Oh, I don't know. Does he ever talk to you? I mean, in a non-roommate way? Does he tell you things?"_

_Ino thought about the past conversations she always had with Gaara, and she knew almost everything about him except for two things: how his mother died and how that affected him while growing up._

_"Well...sometimes...I guess… But Gaara is naturally a quiet person."_

_Fu laughed, "Well, I can definitely agree with you on that. But I just don't feel...connected to him. You know, I went through his phone once," Ino's eyes widened at the revelation, and Fu waved her hands nervously in front of her, "I-I didn't do anything bad! I just looked through it quickly. He was working on his laptop and had left it unlocked. I just looked through it for like a minute or two…"_

_"...And...what did you find?"_

_"Not much," Fu said, pressing her lips tightly together, "Text to his brother and sister… I didn't even know he had siblings. I also checked his pictures and he didn't really have much… and… I did find a picture of you."_

_Ino raised an eyebrow, wondering why Gaara had a picture of her. "Really?"_

_"Yeah! Not a lot of them, but about five."_

_Ino quickly remembered one of the times he had taken a picture of her - it was on the same day Marylin had died. But it wasn't that picture that surprised her, considering she was aware of when he had taken it. It was the fact that there had been more than one, and now she had a million questions…_

_"I'm not sure what to say," Ino said, finishing up her dinner, "But if it makes you feel better, just know that Gaara and I are just roommates."_

_Fu smiled and grabbed her hand. "Thanks. I feel so much better now!"_

* * *

_Next Day..._

Ino walked over to the room, giggling as the dark-haired male gave her an unamused look. He sat on the bed with an icepack on his head.

"Is part of your job laughing at those in pain?"

"Only when it's involving you, Shikamaru," Ino replied, sitting on a stool in front of him. "What happened? Watching the clouds caused you to get a bump on the head and a sprained ankle?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at her, telling himself that he should've asked the receptionist for another nurse.

"What a drag," he groaned while adjusting the ice pack, "I fell down the stairs…"

"How?"

"I missed a damn step while talking to Temari on the phone, fell down, hit my head, and passed out…"

Shikamaru waited a couple of seconds, knowing Ino too well. And yup, there it was. Her laughter. Ino laughed for a good three minutes, already imagining the scene: Shikamaru rolling his eyes at whatever Temari was saying, Temari scolding him over the phone for whatever he wasn't doing right, him probably not paying attention and then boom! Down the stairs!

"Did anyone record?" Ino finally asked, wiping a tear from her face. It had been a while since she laughed this much, and it felt good.

"No," Shikamaru replied.

After calming down, Ino stood up and examined his head and ankle. Aside from the bump on his head, and sprained ankle, he didn't have any other major bruises. Aside from his ego, of course.

"Is your head still hurting?"

"Eh, a little. My ankle is what's killing me."

"You may have to wear a brace for a while," Ino said, noting something down while speaking, "We can get someone to look at it to make sure you didn't break anything."

"Nah, I think I just sprained it badly. A cast should be fine," he replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah,"

"OK, if you say so. By the way, have you spoken with Temari? Does she know?"

"Yeah, I texted her. I told her not to worry but you know how she is… she worries."

Ino smiled at that. "Well, she does love you a lot, even though whatever she was telling you caused you to go down the stairs. What were you guys talking about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Her dad is dating someone. It's been years since the man's dated anyone after her mom's death. Temari actually likes the woman, and so does Kankuro… Gaara doesn't know about it, and Temari isn't sure how to tell him. Gaara and Rasa, their father, aren't on speaking terms. She doesn't know how Gaara will take the news. She's not sure how to tell him,"

"I see," Ino said, recollecting the conversation her and Sakura once had about Gaara being a violent teen, probably having to do with his mother's death and his fallout with his father.

"...And that's not the only news I got…"

"Really? What else is there?"

"Well… Looks like Gaara and some girl named Fu are going out."

The pen in her hand dropped, and Ino could've sworn that the Earth stopped spinning just for a moment. She stared at the window behind her friend's head, her eyes unsure of what to capture except for the windows of the other buildings near the hospital.

"Ino," Shikamaru said, trying to get her attention, "Talk to me…"

She opened her mouth but nothing came out, feeling as if her heart was pulling on her tongue.

Shikamaru had his suspicions from the moment both he and Temari noticed how friendly Ino and Gaara were. In the back of his mind, he always suspected that his close friend had some feelings for the red-haired guy. And based on her reaction, he already knew how such news was making her feel.

"Ino," he called again, finally getting her attention. "Are you OK?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm...totally fine!" her voice became high-pitched, causing Shikamaru to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Ino, I've known you for years. I've seen the way you two would get close to each other, don't you dare bring up the whole roommates crap. You like him,"

"I do not," she replied, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm...happy for him."

He gave her an incredulous look. "Ino, you don't have to pretend-"

"Shikamaru, I need to see some more patients. Someone should be coming in here soon to check your ankle. See ya later,"

He watched her turn around and leave quickly, knowing all too well sooner or later, she was going to break.

* * *

She purposely chose to stay late. Typically, she would work until four or five in the evening, considering she would wake up at five in the morning to start early. But today, she chose to stay until nine. By the time she left the hospital, it was dark. The city traffic was low and instead of taking the bus home, she chose to walk.

She tried her best not to think about what Shikamaru had told her earlier in the day, telling herself that she should have seen it coming. The girl had been over their apartment numerous times, watching TV and acting as if she owned the place even when Gaara did something else.

What did Fu have that she didn't?

What about those times her and Gaara did act a little closer than usual? The time where they did almost kiss?

Ino tried to push away those thoughts as she unlocked her apartment door. Maybe he had wanted to experiment during those times?

The place was quiet and to her surprise, the kitchen wasn't dirty at all. Closing the door softly, she took off her shoes and walked over to the living room, tiredly dragging her feet along the way. The only noise she heard was the TV, which had its volume low.

With her shoes swinging by her right hand, Ino abruptly stopped by the doorway upon seeing them. Her hand twitched, causing the shoes to fall on the floor. The sound of the impact caused them to separate from their kiss and look at her, Fu giggling with a blush on her face and Gaara blinking at her with a surprised look.

"Hey Ino! You're finally home!" Fu said, getting up and walking towards her. "We ordered some pizza! I was so hungry and wanted to eat most of it, but Gaara was adamant on saving you some! Do you want to sit with us and watch TV?!"

Ino felt the lump in her throat growing bigger and bigger, and she knew that she had to get out of there. Forgetting her shoes on the floor, the blonde girl rolled her eyes before stomping into her room and shutting the door loudly.

* * *

Shikamaru was expecting her call. He knew her too well. The moment his phone rang and he saw her name on the screen, he looked at Temari and gave her an 'I told you so' look.

"Talk to her," Temari said with a sad smile.

Nodding, he walked over to his kitchen and sat down. Accepting her call, he muttered a low 'Hello' and waited for her to say something. But she didn't speak, and instead he heard her sobs through the other end. Shikamaru rubbed his eyes upon hearing her cry.

"Hey Ino, don't cry…"

He heard her try to say something from the other end, but instead her crying increased and Shikamaru waited for her to calm down. He had known Ino since she was little and if there was one thing he knew so well about her, it was that she was very emotional. As much as she liked to put on the tough girl look, and in fact she was a strong girl, she was also emotional.

_ "Sh-Shikamaru… What...d-do...I...d-do…?" _

"You try to move on. Don't let it get to you. You deserve better,"

_ "I-I know… but it's so hard… and I saw them kissing… It just hurts so much, Shika." _

"I know it hurts," he replied, "And living with him is probably making it harder."

_ "I-I want to move out…" _

"Listen, you only have how many months left in your lease? Four? Five? Try to stick through it-"

_ "Shika, I can't! She's always here! She's always trying to be nice to me but I can't take it! I don't think I can do this!" _

Shikamaru sighed, combing his hair back as an idea came to his mind. "I know this is rash but...if you need money to break the lease, I can lend it to you. I don't want you suffering. But, I also want you to think this through… Do not make any rash decisions in this state that you'll regret later."

_ "I can move in with my mom for some time until I can find someone else…. Oh Shika, why is this so hard?" _

"I know it's hard, Ino. But I want you to do something for me."

_ "Wh-What?" _

"I want you to tell Gaara. Tell him how you feel. I think it's time you two had a serious conversation about each other. I know he just started dating that girl, but that doesn't mean it'll last. Listen, I am not saying this to give you hopes or anything… But, shit… What I'm trying to say is that...I seriously think Gaara likes you, and Temari thinks so too!"

_ "I don't think so, Shika. He's...He's different…" _

"Yeah, but we've all seen how you two interact. Kankuro told me all the things you and Gaara do that no normal roommates do. You sit on his lap and he lets you! He buys you food and other shit. He carries you… Ino, you're not stupid. You know Gaara is touchy with you."

_ "What am I supposed to do then? Just tell him? And then what? He'll break up with Fu and be with me? What if...he doesn't like me back?" _

"I seriously think that's bullshit. But, even if he doesn't feel the same way…. the least he can do is respect how you feel and know how this is hurting you."

_ "I honestly don't know how to have such conversation with him…" _

"I know, but you need to let him know… and the sooner, the better."

There was a silence between them, and Shikamaru heard her cry again.

_"This feels like a nightmare…"_

"I'm sure it will get better…"

_"I wish I could fast forward in time and put all of this behind…"_

"Then how would you experience life? You can't hide from every pain, Ino."

He heard her sniff and cough before replying. "I know, Shika."

"Try to get some sleep, OK? Let's talk again tomorrow."

_"O-OK…"_

"And lay off the wine."

_ "Yes… Yes… I think I may take the day off tomorrow. I think I need a day off," _

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I think you need it. Try to get some rest tomorrow and be sure to tell him."

_ "I would be lying to you if I told you that I wasn't scared… Shika, I don't know how to tell him… I don't know if I should." _

"You'll regret it if you don't,"

He heard her sigh and sniff some more before replying._ "You're right… I'll see when I can talk to him. She's always over! Ugh, how am I going to get this attention."_

"Ino, that's your place as well. If you need ten minutes to talk to him about something, then Fu needs to live with that. Just because they're dating doesn't mean she needs to be around 24/7… Damn, she sounds very annoying to me now…"

_ "...She is… She acts as if I'm her best friend just because he and I are roommates. Anyway, I'm very tired. I think I've been crying for almost an hour." _

"Get some sleep,"

_"Will do…"_

* * *


	13. Rocks and Confession

When she first woke up, it was nearly four in the morning. She was still wearing last night's clothes, and she remembered how she had fallen asleep after talking to Shikamaru.

Grabbing her phone, she composed an email to her boss and a few other of the nurses, letting them know that she wasn't feeling well and would be taking the day off. After sending the email, she placed her head back on her pillow and went back to sleep.

The next time she woke up, it was nearly nine-thirty in the morning. With her head pounding painfully, Ino checked her phone and saw a couple of missed text messages and emails.

Checking her first email, she read through the long message.

_"Hey there doctors and nurses! This email is just a friendly reminder of our upcoming event!_

_Join us this weekend for the annual flowers and cupcake event! This event will help raise money for this year's Doctors Without Borders. Please bring your friends and family._

_It will take place from nine am to five pm right across the street in the lovely Botanic Gardens._

_In addition, if you would like to be part of this year's volunteering team of doctors and nurses, it is not too late to sign up!"_

Ino looked at the big orange button which said "Sign Up Now!" at the bottom of the email, her mind suddenly thinking about the organization. She had always donated money to Doctors Without Borders as she was fascinated and proud of the work they always did. But at the same time, she had never thought about joining and being part of that team herself.

These volunteers traveled to mostly third-world countries and stayed there for months. She wasn't sure if she could handle living abroad for such duration, but she knew that it would be a great experience for her career. Not only that, but it would help her get Gaara out of her mind.

She quickly remembered the phone call with Shikamaru and how he had told her to tell Gaara about her feelings. Thinking about that scared her, and Ino groaned into her pillow while thinking about how to tell him. Telling him wasn't the only problem, though. With Fu around almost every evening, how was she going to get some time with him?

Ino groaned again and got off her bed, removing her shirt and pants. Opening the door to her bedroom, she walked out but was quickly met with Gaara standing right by her doorway.

"Oh shit! Gaara, you-you scared me! I didn't notice you there! And I'm in my underwear…"

She hurried back inside her room and put on her shirt and a pair of shorts. She could feel her face getting warmer by the second as she saw him standing by her doorway from the corner of her eyes, watching her as she put her clothes on.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work today?" she asked, placing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Today is my comp day,"

"Your what?"

"Compensatory day off… Meaning work gave me a day off because I worked over the weekend last week,"

"Oh, I see." Ino said with a slight nod, thinking that it was almost the perfect coincidence that they both had the day off.

"What about you? You're usually at work by this time,"

"I wasn't feeling well, so I took the day off."

Gaara looked at her and she looked away, wondering what he was thinking about. To her surprise, he walked inside her bedroom and towards her, causing the nervousness in her stomach to increase.

"...Are...you feeling better now?"

Ino blinked for a couple of seconds, her eyes traveling to his face and scolding herself for not trying harder on letting him know how she felt..

"Ino?"

"Huh?"

"Are you better now?"

"Um..y-yeah...I am…" she said, mentally cursing herself for not telling him right then and there how she felt about him. How hurt she was seeing Fu around him. How it destroyed her the moment she saw them kissing last night.

His touch on her arm made her jump a bit, and her gaze went back to him.

"Come eat with me," he said.

"..Um...wh-what?"

Gaara tilted his head towards the side, his eyes narrowing. "Ino, are you OK?"

"Yeah, sorry! I just have a bad headache. I skipped dinner last night…"

"I know," Gaara said with a sigh, "Come eat with me."

Ino rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "A-Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't be asking you if I wasn't sure."

"Well, what about Fu?"

_Wouldn't she get jealous?_

"What about her?"

Ino tried her best to answer. "W-Wouldn't she want to...come? Unless she's at work, of course."

"She doesn't work," Gaara replied, and Ino held her tongue before saying some sarcastic remark. "...And I see her almost every day."

The last piece came out as a tired sigh, and Ino was surprised at how he said it.

"Now come on, go get ready and I'll wait for you." he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her bedroom and towards the bathroom, Ino loving the warmth his hands were bringing to her skin.

* * *

They stopped by a bagel and coffee shop first, and Ino ordered a freshly baked bagel with cream cheese while Gaara just stuck with a coffee. He watched her eat the whole thing in less than three minutes, his face showing a mixture of amusement and concern. Licking some cream cheese off her finger, Ino caught him staring and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What?"

"You must've been very hungry…"

"I was," she replied, suddenly becoming self-conscious in front of him.

"Why didn't you eat dinner last night?" he asked, and Ino was surprised at the question. It wasn't the first time she had skipped dinner. And when she had in the past, he had never questioned about it.

"...I...wasn't feeling well," Ino said, drinking her coffee and avoiding eye contact. But she felt his gaze on her, and knew that Gaara didn't believe her.

The waitress stopped by their table and placed their check between them. Grabbing her wallet, Ino took out some cash and was about to place it on the table, but Gaara had beaten her to it.

"Gaara, let me-"

"No, I got it," he said, shaking his head.

Ino gave him a small smile, her face blushing as she thought about how much of a gentleman her roommate was. He always was, and Ino didn't blame Fu for falling for him. Heck, it was one of the reasons why she herself fell for him, even if she didn't want to admit it at first.

"Ready to go?" he asked, and Ino nodded.

The two left the bagel shop with a strange silence between them. Her phone vibrated and Ino unlocked it, her eyes glancing at the unread text message from Shikamaru.

_ "How you feeling?" _

Turning her back towards her roommate, Ino texted back quickly. _"...OK, I guess. I'm with Gaara right now…"_

His response came back quickly. _"Yeah, Temari told me he had taken the day off. I'm guessing you told him already?"_

_ "No, I didn't… We were just having breakfast and I honestly don't know how to tell him…" _

"Ino?"

The blonde flinched as she felt her roommate standing right behind her. Putting her phone away quickly, she turned around and smiled. "Y-Yeah?"

"Is everything OK?"

"Yup!" damn, there went her voice going high-pitch again. "Just texting Shikamaru."

"How's his ankle?"

"Oh, you heard?"

"...Temari talks a lot," Gaara said, and Ino giggled.

"Well, something she said made him fall down the stairs. But he's OK,"

Gaara nodded, placing his hands inside his pocket. They started walking in silence, neither of them sure where they were truly heading. One thing was for sure, it wasn't towards their apartment.

"...So...what's your plan for the rest of the day?" she asked, hating the silence that had fallen between them.

Gaara shrugged. "Nothing much. What about you?"

"...Same. Feels good to not have to go into work today,"

He nodded at that and then faced her. "Let's walk around the park," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her across the street. "I heard a rock climbing wall was recently built."

His hand on her arm felt nice, and Ino cursed her damn feelings for making her feel like some high school girl again. "Gaara, I don't know how to rock climb."

"It's easy," he said as they both entered the park entrance.

Considering most of the kids were still in school, the area was pretty empty. Situated right in the middle was a 15-foot tall rock with small rocks scattered around it. A big yellow sign was displayed right next to it, the words "Climb at your own risk!" in big black ink.

"I don't think this is meant for adults," Ino muttered, and he looked at her.

"Then you shouldn't have a problem climbing up,"

Before she could protest, Ino watched as Gaara easily climbed the thing. He reached to the top in just a matter of a few minutes, his eyes gazing around the area before looking down at her.

"Come up,"

"Wh-What? I can't climb!"

"Try,"

Ino pressed her lips tightly as she placed one hand on the rock, already hating how rough it felt. Ensuring that her phone was securely in her jean pocket, she placed her other hand on another rock, following then by her right foot. She lifted her left foot but just as she did, her other foot slipped and she crashed against the rough texture.

"Ouch! Gaara, this is too hard!"

"Alright, let me come down."

He climbed down and then stood behind her. Ino tried to ignore the close proximity of their bodies.

"OK, put one hand here and then this foot here."

She wasn't sure why she was even doing this, considering rock climbing was something she was never looking forward to. But spending time with him made her swallow her embarrassment and deal with the damn rocks.

"Now put your other hand here and then start lifting yourself up a bit,"

Doing as told, she groaned as she lifted her body and placed her other foot on another rock.

"Now repeat and just go up,"

"Gaara, my arms are already hurting. I'm not used to this,"

"Come on, you can do it."

"I can't! My hands are cramping. These rocks are too rough and I feel my feet slipping. I'm going to fall."

"You're not going to fall. And if you do, you're only less than a foot away from the ground."

"Gaara, I can't keep holding on! I'm going to-EEK!"

Ino gaped as she felt his body, once again, at close proximity to hers. This time, though, it was more awkward as he had climbed up and was now right behind her. Her mind couldn't wrap around the fact that right now they were in such position with his breath tickling her ear. Considering her heart was beating faster, she was surprised at the fact that she was still able to hold on to the damn rocks.

"Ino," he called her name calmly.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Why were you crying last night?"

And that was when one of her hands lost its grip. She desperately tried to reach for the rock again, but with her mind racing wildly for an answer, she struggled with doing so. Gaara grabbed her wrist gently.

"I'm not going to let you fall,"

"O-OK. B-But I think we should get down before I fall back and we both get hurt."

"We won't fall," he said, just as he leaned closer again and she felt her chest touch the rough surface. "But you still haven't answered my question. Why were you crying last night?"

Ino gulped as Shikamaru's words started ringing through her head. Should she tell him now? While they were in some awkward position in public?

"I...I...it's not easy for me to say,"

"Why?"

"...Because we're in public, Gaara. And it's somewhat personal…"

The man behind her didn't say anything at first, and Ino wanted to turn her head and ask him what he was thinking. But she was afraid that if she did so, she would end up telling him everything and breaking down in the meantime.

"OK, we'll talk at home" he said before getting down, "I'll help you get down."

Ino didn't have time to register his words of discussing at home as his hands grabbed her waist and he helped her get down.

_This is so wrong…_

With her mind troubled by his actions, they walked back to her apartment in silence. The walk wasn't long, considering they were only ten minutes away. But she wished that those ten minutes would've lasted longer. She wasn't ready at all for the confession. She didn't know how to even start it. But for the most part, she wasn't sure how he would react and how she would take it from there. And what about Fu? If he decided to tell her, how would she react? How would their common friends react? She knew that her close girlfriends and Shikamaru wouldn't judge her. But how would it change the dynamic of their common friends, considering they had the same friends and Shikamaru was dating his sister?

They reached their apartment and he opened the door for her, Ino feeling the pressure on her chest increasing. Should she lie and hide her feelings completely?

The sound of the door closing behind her interrupted her thoughts, and a silence between the two of them.

"Ino,"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Why were you crying last night?"

Ino could feel that pressure rise to her throat, and she knew that she was minutes away from crying.

"H-How did you know I was crying?"

"After Fu left, I heard you crying. I wanted to check up on you but I heard you talking."

_Oh God, did he hear what I told Shikamaru?_

Ino felt her first tear roll down her face. She quickly wiped it away.

"D-Did y-you hear...anything?"

"No, I didn't," Gaara said before taking a step closer to her. "But I waited for some time. I tried checking up on you last night, but you must've fallen asleep-"

"Gaara, I love you."

The words escaped her mouth without her even thinking about them. But now that they were out, she didn't dare turn around and see what his face expression was. She did hear his footsteps behind her, and Ino guessed that he was probably pacing back and forth. She could feel her heart beginning to sink for the worse.

"...I...don't know what to say…"

Ino's eyes blurred with tears, telling herself that this was the biggest mistake of her life.

"..I-I'm sorry, I sh-shouldn't have said anything,"

"Why?"

His question shocked her, and she turned around, finally meeting his confused look.

"Why what? Why am I telling you this? Because I'm fucking hurt, Gaara. Seeing you with Fu is f-fucking killing me! And it hurts!"

She wiped her tears away and looked elsewhere.

"...I…" he spoke but stopped, "I...don't know…"

She wasn't sure what he was trying to say and turned to him again. "Gaara, you've been giving me mixed signals for the past couple of days. You're with Fu yet look at what you did today! Grabbing my waist and then watching me change this morning! Be clear with how you feel!"

"...I...don't know how I feel…" he didn't finish his sentence and Ino growled with frustration.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! You've been all touchy with me and now you're acting as if we're strangers or something!?"

"...It doesn't make sense…"

"What doesn't make sense? That there have been several occasions where you and I almost kissed?"

"...Love… just doesn't make sense…"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Wow, for someone with a tattoo of it, you sure are fucking dense."

The insult caused him to glare at her. "Do not go there, Ino."

She glared back. "Why, huh? Got drunk and had someone tattoo that shit on your forehead? Now you regret it, because you don't know what love is even if it's tattooed on your fucking face?

Ino suddenly flinched as Gaara held her arm roughly, and her mind suddenly remembered what Sakura had told her before. How he had been a violent teen. Someone who had gotten into physical altercations with his own father. Someone who had fought Rock Lee during high school. Someone who had taken drugs while growing up to help with whatever issues he had in his mind.

The eyes glaring at her were not of her roommate, but of someone different, and Ino whimpered as his hold got stronger. She placed her other hand over his, trying to get him off. Fear began to sip through as she wondered if he was really going to hurt her, at least more than what he was currently doing.

Upon feeling her hand over his, Gaara looked down and let go of her. He had a confused look on his face as he brushed his hair back with his fingers. Ino simply stared at him with wide eyes, her hand touching her arm where his hand had been. She wasn't sure what to say or do as she never expected such behavior from him. It was confusing and terrifying.

He stood there for a moment before turning around and leaving the apartment, leaving his wide-eyed roommate with a mixed feeling of shock, confusion, and fear.


	14. Sorry

The garden across the hospital was packed. A large sign reading "Doctors Without Borders Fundraiser" hung between two trees as volunteers sold beautifully decorated cupcakes and flowers to the attendees. Several musicians from the community brought their instruments and played music, attracting more people to stop by the garden.

"Oh man, these cupcakes are so freaking good!" Naruto exclaimed as he bought another four.

"N-Naruto, slow down. You may get an upset stomach," Hinata said next to him, still on her very first one.

"Don't worry, I won't. And if I do, the hospital is just right over there!"

His girlfriend smiled, pulling out a napkin from her purse as she noticed white frosting on the blonde man's chin.

"Geez, Naruto, you still need Hinata to clean up after you?"

Said man narrowed his eyes at Kiba as he, his dog, and Rock Lee approached them. Kiba held a cupcake while Rock Lee had four in his hands.

"It's been a while, Naruto," Rock Lee said, using his free hand to give his old time friend a thumbs up.

"Yeah it has! What have you been up to?"

"I've been producing and managing my own entertainment studio. I've been saving some money in order to move across the country and kick off my career in film and acting."

"Wow, that's pretty great!" Naruto exclaimed, finishing his last cupcake. "Will you still be around for Sakura and Sasuke's wedding?"

"Of course! I'm actually one of the groomsmen!"

"Wow, so that makes me, Shikamaru, you, and Neji as Sasuke's groomsmen! I'm assuming you're paired up with Ino?"

Lee nodded with a bright smile. "Yup! I can't wait until dance practice! I'm wondering what type of dance Sakura wants us to do…"

"Hopefully nothing too crazy," came Shikamaru's reply as he and Temari walked towards them. The dark-blue cast over his ankle was visible, and Naruto pointed at it.

"How's the ankle?! Think it'll be healed before the wedding?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru replied with a shrug. "It's been healing, I'll be fine by then."

The group continued chatting about the wedding, all of them excited to be part of the wedding considering Sakura and Sasuke were the first ones in the group to marry out of the remaining couples. During college, bets had been placed in terms of who would marry first, and the choices had narrowed down to 2 couples: Sasuke and Sakura, and Neji and Tenten. The latter simply due to the fact that Neji was a very traditional person who stuck closer to his family's values compared to his two cousins and was not shy in asking for Tenten's hand in marriage. The issue? The brown-haired girl didn't feel ready, and he understood.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

Everyone turned their attention towards the center of the park as a woman waved her hand in the air.

"Thank you all for coming to our event and helping us fundraise for this year's Doctors without borders! You are helping a great cause. Last year, our team was able to provide healthcare for women in third world countries. These women are now doing much better and are also educating others in their community!"

"Wow, that is great to hear," Temari commented as the announcer continued speaking on the great tasks performed from last year.

"Yup! And we should keep supporting by buying more of these delicious cupcakes!"

"I'm sure they'll reach their target with you buying all of them," Shikamaru said while giving a smirk to Naruto.

"Hey guys!"

The group turned their heads as they saw Sasuke, Sakura, Neji, and Tenten approach them. Neji and Tenten greeted their old friend Lee, glad to be seeing him after over a year.

"Wow, it's like almost the whole gang's here," Naruto said, "We just need Gaara, Kankuro, Choji, and Ino. Temari, where are your brothers any way?"

Temari shrugged. "I texted them. I know Gaara's with Kankuro and Kankuro did mention about coming. I'm assuming that he'll bring Gaara too."

"And Ino should be here as well. I know she was helping with setting up the flowers." Sakura added, glancing at the beautiful designs. The beauty of it all reminded her of her wedding, and she placed her hand on her growing stomach while thinking about it.

The group continued chatting for another thirty minutes. They mostly talked about the wedding and where the small dance practice would take place. While Lee, Tenten, and Temari were excited about being able to dance, Shikamaru didn't look too happy and Naruto seemed just as nervous as Hinata. The group remembered how terribly Naruto danced in college, often trying to drag Hinata to the dance floor but the shy girl always refusing.

"Wow, is this a party or what?!"

They all turned around to see Kankuro approaching with a smile, Gaara walking right beside him.

"You guys are late!" Naruto exclaimed, already on his twelfth cupcake. "You're missing out on these delicious cupcakes."

"Do they have alcohol?"

"No…"

"Then there's nothing to be missing out," Kankuro said with a smirk before turning his attention to Rock Lee. "Lee! Wow, I haven't seen you in years! How's it going?"

Lee smiled at him with his bright teeth and thumbs up. "Going well! I'm planning on moving across the country to pursue my career in film and arts!"

Kankuro congratulated him on that, and Lee replied with a thanks before glancing at the red-haired male standing across from him. Even though their altercation had happened years ago, Lee and Gaara hadn't spoken much to each other after that, primarily because both of them decided to not speak with the other. While they weren't enemies, they definitely weren't friends. In Lee's opinion, Gaara's personality had improved tremendously. However, it still did not solve the tension the two had between each other.

"Wow, almost everybody is here. We just need Ino and Chouji!" Kiba said.

"Oh, she's right over there!" Tenten pointed, everyone following her line of sight and watching as the blonde young woman was helping with organizing some more of the flowers.

* * *

Ino had noticed them way before they had noticed her. Also, Shikamaru had texted her not too long ago about Gaara arriving.

Despite living with him, it had been two days since Ino had last seen her roommate. Right after their awkward argument, she had mostly stayed in her room, not sure about what had happened between them and being too nervous to talk to him again. During those two days, she had always come back from work after ten at night in order to avoid any type of contact with him until things, somehow, got back to normal.

But how would things get back to normal between them? That's something that Ino always wondered, and she felt terrible for insulting him in such a way. While him grabbing her arm roughly had scared her, she felt awful for the mean things that had come out of her mouth. She wondered what he would say if she apologized. Would he apologize back?

That day, Shikamaru had texted her, asking her about how it went. And not wanting to provide too much details, Ino replied with a "not well at all" and "rather not talk about it". In truth, she wasn't sure how to tell Shikamaru about it. However, she did know that he wouldn't be happy at all in regards to Gaara grabbing her. And the last thing she wanted was for the issue to grow even more and include both him and Temari.

"Yo Ino!"

Upon hearing her name called out, she turned her head and saw Kiba waving at her. Her eyes quickly landed on the flaming red-hair within the group, his teal eyes looking at her.

Ino turned her head and groaned, tapping her foot on the ground nervously as she wondered how to be herself and not show any sign of distress around them. The only person who knew anything was Shikamaru, and he wasn't even aware of everything that happened. But that wasn't her real issue. She wasn't sure how Gaara would act around her with everyone else nearby, and that bothered her the most.

* * *

Her grave was decorated with the flowers he had bought from the fundraiser event. The man sat on the ground, tears rolling down his face as he stared at the name imprinted on the stone: Marylin.

God had taken her from him at such a young age, and he hated that despite his pastor telling him that sometimes, God acted in ways humans would never understand. But that at the end, Marylin was in heaven with God, and she was probably smiling down at him.

But the ill father, despite nodding at everything the pastor was saying, didn't believe the holy man. And this was due to the fact that he didn't believe God hadn't punished those responsible for his daughter's death. Even though the reports had mentioned that the plane crash was due to pilot error, and those pilots had always passed away, the man still felt as if justice had not been served.

Remembering Dr Tsunade's neutral facial expression during the court hearing increased his anger. Did she not care?! Did she not care that he was hurting!? That her and her team didn't do enough for his daughter?!

If God was wrong about one thing, it was about who was responsible for his daughter's death. And the fact that they have not been punished yet fueled his hatred.

Wiping the tears away, the man stood up from the ground and muttered an 'I love you' to his daughter's tombstone. He organized the flowers again before grabbing his rifle and heading back towards the fundraiser event.

* * *

Ino walked towards the group, her eyes purposely avoiding Gaara, as she muttered a hello.

"Look at you looking cute!" Temari said with a wink, and the Ino actually blushed at the comment. After staring at her closet for what seemed to be hours this morning, the nurse had decided on wearing a white summer dress that reached the middle of her thighs with a pair of blue flats.

"Th-Thanks," Ino said, telling herself not to look at her brother instead. "So, what are you guys up to?"

"We were just talking about wedding rehearsals," Sakura said, "Hinata said that we can use her father's basement and backyard. It will give us enough space for practice."

"That's great! Have you selected the songs?"

"Not yet, but Lee here has a couple of good suggestions."

Ino turned her head towards the mentioned man and smiled as he gave a bright smile and thumbs up.

"Yes! I have a couple of mixtapes which should be suitable for what Sakura needs! A couple of them can be danced by couples."

"Oh, I can't wait for those," Temari said while lightly elbowing Shikamaru on the side, causing him to groan.

"Oh great…"

"Oh cheer up, Shika," Ino said, "I'm sure you won't be as bad as Naruto,"

"Pfft, me and Hinata will be practicing every day!" said Naruto, grabbing his shy girlfriend by the shoulders, "Heck, we'll be even better than Sakura and Sasuke."

"Yeah, in your dreams," Sakura replied, and Sasuke almost looked nervously at her. Hadn't he told her already that he wasn't a dancer?

"With all due respect," Rock Lee chimed in, "I'm sure all of you will be great, especially my rival Neji and the beautiful flower Tenten. But! None of you will be as great as Ino and I! Especially since I've been dancing since young and can guide and teach Ino much quicker!"

Ino giggled as the green-clad man made his speech with one finger pointing upwards and then placing one arm on her shoulders.

"Right, partner?"

"Yup!" Ino said, still laughing at Lee's enthusiasm. While she did find him to be too much at times, she had to admit that Lee always brought positive energy to the group. And that was something that she needed right now.

For once, she turned her head towards Gaara and saw how he simply stood there with his arms crossed in front of his chest, his gaze still on her. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, or whether he was still mad at her or not, but she did want to show him that despite the drama, she hated the fact that they weren't speaking. Heck, had it not been for Fu being in his life and none of this happening, she would have spoken to Sakura on making Gaara her dance partner for the wedding. It's not that she hated Lee. Part of her briefly imagined dancing with him instead and seeing him out of his comfort zone.

Taking a deep breath, Ino gave her roommate a friendly smile before turning her attention back to the rest of their friends.

"So Tenten," Ino called, "Have you been practicing walking on those heels? Because I'm sure we'll be dancing on them as well."

The brunette shook her head in defeat. "Not much, really. But I will! I promise!"

"Good! Because tomorrow we're going to go and try on some dresses. We will need to bring our heels so we can see how we will look-"

"Hey Gaara!"

They all turned around, Ino's smile quickly fading, as Fu jogged towards them. Ever since the awkward argument, she had not seen the short-haired girl at all, and she wondered if Gaara even told her everything.

Fu hugged the red-head male from behind and placed a kiss on his temple, causing everyone else to gasp. Clearly their red-haired friend had not told them about her…

"Hi everyone! My name is Fu!"

The females in the group didn't bother with a reply, and the men looked at each other awkwardly. The only person who said hello and introduced himself was Rock Lee, yet even he felt the awkwardness too and didn't say anything much afterwards.

Fu, either oblivious or not caring about the fact that nobody else said anything, looked at Ino and gasped.

"Whoa, Ino, you look beautiful! That's such a pretty dress!"

The blonde woman blinked and gave her a forced smile. "Thank you, Fu. Um, if you would excuse me, I have to go back and help with the flowers."

Not waiting for a response, she turned around and quickly walked away. The last thing she wanted was pretending to be OK with Fu was out there holding onto Gaara as if her life depended on it. Ino could feel the bitterness rise up in her throat again and she took deep breaths in order to calm herself down. No, she would not cry here. Not today, not ever.

* * *

Fu was very talkative. And what made it worse was that everyone else, including Gaara, weren't paying much attention to her.

Tenten and Sakura gave each other bored looks as the talkative female stood between them, asking what seemed like a million questions. Naruto and Hinata, wanting to look at the flowers more and get away from the chit chat, simply walked away quietly. Temari and Shikamaru, upon seeing them sneak away, had wanted to do the same thing, but were too busy trying to answer Fu's multiple questions.

After some point, Temari glanced at Gaara and was ready to tell him to take Fu somewhere else. But, upon seeing her brother seemingly staring to his right, she kept her mouth shut and instead looked at what he was looking at. Or rather, whom.

Shikamaru had told her everything that he knew about Gaara and Ino, and seeing how her brother wouldn't keep his eyes off the blonde woman, she knew that Gaara needed to have a chat with his roommate.

Kankuro, upon noticing how his brother was staring at Ino as well, looked at his sister and gave her a slight nod. As if reading each other's mind, the siblings smiled before Temari grabbed Fu's attention.

"Hey Fu, why don't we walk this way and check some flowers out? I don't think the boys will want to come, so let's go take a walk!"

"Wow, that sounds great!" Fu said before following her into another direction of the park.

"Now's your chance," Kankuro said lowly to his younger brother, "Go talk to her."

Gaara nodded, muttering a thanks to his brother, before leaving.

* * *

Ino reorganized the flower in hundreds different ways, even though it wasn't required of her to do. However, doing such a tedious task allowed her mind not to wander off and think about a certain roommate. Despite telling herself to do it, she still had not signed up to volunteer for the Doctors with Borders organization. Something was holding her back, and she knew that something was her roommate.

Just as she placed the flowers back into their vases, Ino felt her phone vibrate and upon seeing the name on her screen, she felt her heart explode in anticipation.

It was a text from Gaara…

_"Where are you?"_

Biting her lip nervously, she replied back quickly. _"By the orchids… They're the white flowers."_

_"OK, I see you now."_

Ino took a deep breath and looked up. Considering he could see her, she should be able to see him as well. And turning her head to the left, Ino smiled as she saw her roommate walking slowly towards her. The best part was that he was alone. Looking at him as he stared back made her wonder how she would converse with him. Should she apologize first? Or maybe he wanted to say sorry first? Or what if he wanted to talk to her about wanting her out of the apartment or that he was the one moving out?

Ino became impatient as he was now about seven feet away from her. Nonetheless, the corner of his lips went upward a bit and she couldn't help but smile fully in return.

However, his smile dropped as a look of confusion suddenly displayed on his face, and Ino tilted her head to the side. Did she do something wrong?

She was about to open her mouth to say something when Gaara's confused look suddenly became a look of panic as he started running towards her while avoiding people walking in front of him. He opened his mouth to say something, but someone standing right beside her let out a high pitched scream, pulling her attention away.

"Oh my God! He has a gun!"

Ino turned around as a loud pop was heard, and the next thing she felt was pain and wetness by her chest. Her phone dropped to the ground and her legs began to shake, people around her suddenly screaming and running frantically. Ino looked down as blood was suddenly dripping down her white dress. Her blood. Her legs finally gave up just as arms were suddenly around her, supporting her so she did not hit the ground hard.

Ino's widened eyes looked up to meet Gaara's. Picking her up, he laid her on the ground away from the screaming people as a couple of more gunshots were heard before it all suddenly stopped. Removing his sweater and placing it over her bleeding chest, Gaara grabbed his phone and quickly dialed for help. Her shaking hands grabbed his, and Gaara looked down at her face.

"...G-Gaa…" she had a hard time saying his name, but she could feel her consciousness slipping through. If this was the way she would go, then she had to say what has been in her mind for the last two days. "..I'm...s-sorry…"

"Ino," he said, putting more pressure on her wound and looking at her, "Don't apologize! There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

Seeing a tear roll down his face was the last thing she noticed as everything became black.

* * *

Cops were everywhere within minutes as nurses across the street from the hospital had run out to help. Roads were closed in order to allow them to maneuver without worrying about incoming vehicles.

Gaara followed them as they had rushed Ino into the hospital, his heart beating frantically as the nurses tried to stop the bleeding. His mind had been so preoccupied with thoughts about his roommate that he did not notice that he had been following the nurses and a doctor towards the surgery room until one of them stopped him right by the door.

"Sir, you can't come in here. You will have to wait in the lobby."

Gaara didn't say anything, his wide eyes staring as the gurney in which Ino was on disappeared into the room. Rubbing his head, he leaned against the wall before sliding down and sitting on the floor, his elbows leaning on his knees.

He felt two vibrations and reaching into his pocket, he pulled his phone and Ino's. He picked up his phone, quickly hearing his sister's frantic voice.

_ "Gaara, where are you?! There were gunshots and several people got hurt!" _

"...At the hospital," he said.

_"Hospital? Did you get shot!?"_

"...No… but… she did. Ino got hit, Temari… She got shot in the chest..."

_"What?! We'll be there right away…"_

Gaara didn't hear whatever else she had to say as he dropped his phone on the floor and looked up at the white ceiling, cursing himself for not reacting quick enough upon seeing the strange man approach Ino from behind with the rifle. Memories of his mother arose in his head, and Gaara wanted nothing more than just to punch a hole through the wall.


	15. Faint

By the time they arrived at the hospital, they saw the red-haired young man sitting on the floor with blood on his shirt. His arms were resting on his knees with one of his hands placed on his forehead.

"Gaara!"

He raised his head as Temari got on her knees in front of him, her eyes widened in shock.

"Are you OK!? There's blood on your shirt-"

"I'm fine…"

"Is that...Ino's blood?"

"...Yeah…"

Shikamaru sat across from them in shock. The sound of gunshots had been very loud, and to now know that one of his closest friends had been shot was something he couldn't wrap his mind around. The rest of their friends arrived immediately right after, and they quickly sat around as the news of Ino's injury spread more.

"She was shot in close range on the chest," Gaara added, his eyes fixed on the floor, "I...took off my sweater and tried my best to get the bleeding under control,"

"How long has it been since they've admitted her?" Sakura asked, knowing all too well that each second counted.

"...I've lost track of time," he replied.

"I'll go ask the receptionist to see if she has any news," the pink-haired girl said before walking away.

"I'm going to call Ino's dad and tell him what happened," Shikamaru said.

A few more of the injured were brought in, their loved ones waiting in the lobby as well while trying to understand what had happened.

The fundraising event was immediately closed as state and federal police became involved, looking for clues in terms of wondering if there was more than one shooter. So far, they had only found one, and the man had shot himself in the head after the shootout.

"She's still in surgery," Sakura said while coming back. "It can take another couple of more hours before we get some news-"

"Gaara! Oh my god, you're alive!"

The group turned their heads as they saw Fu jogging inside the lobby. She looked at him worryingly as her eyes caught the sight of blood on his shirt. She called him again and frowned as he didn't even look at her, his gaze on the floor instead. It was Temari who walked over to her.

"Fu, let's go talk,"

"B-But I need to talk to Gaara-"

"No, you don't," Temari said before grabbing the girl gently by her arm, "Let's go for a quick walk,"

Fu didn't say anything, allowing herself to be dragged away while staring back at him. Why wasn't he responding to her?

The two girls reached outside the hospital, stepping away from the entrance as more people walked inside.

"Temari, why is there blood on him? Is he injured?" Fu asked, her tone serious.

"He's not. That is not his blood…. That is Ino's blood…"

"Ino? Wait! Did she get shot?"

"Yes, she did."

"But how come Gaara has her blood on his….?"

"He was with her when it happened,"

Fu held a confused look as she stared at the ground. "Wh-Why was he with her? And why won't he respond to me? I've been texting and calling him for the last fifteen minutes! And just now, he won't even look at me-"

"Fu," Temari said sternly, grabbing the girl's attention, "Ino was shot right in front of him. If you want to know why he was with her, then that's something you need to ask Gaara. But not right now."

"Why? I'm his girlfriend-"

"And I've known him longer. I'm his sister. I know how he is, and right now he needs space."

Fu looked insulted, her eyebrows furrowing in anger. "That's not fair for me! I deserve to know what's going on."

"And I'm sure he will tell you. But right now, he is hurting and in shock."

Fu crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking around. Temari saw the wetness near her eyes, and she felt bad for speaking to the girl in such a way. But it had to be done.

"I thought they were just roommates," Fu said, the last word coming out bitterly from her tongue.

Temari shrugged, not bothering to let the girl know that no matter what happened, Gaara and Ino have a special connection that was more than just sharing an apartment.

"Go home," she said instead, "Kankuro and I will watch over Gaara. And he will be fine. Gaara just needs space right now, and he's anxious about knowing what's going to happen to Ino. We all are."

"But...what about me?"

"He'll reach out to you when he's ready. But right now, I suggest you give him some space."

Fu stared at her with disbelief as Temari walked back inside the building. She stared at her phone, rereading her frantic un-read text messages to Gaara and wondering why he wasn't even acknowledging her. Unsure of what to do or what it all meant, Fu turned around and headed home, avoiding the sudden arrival of reporters and journalists.

* * *

It had taken Ino's parents an hour to reach the hospital, primarily due to the fact that police were present throughout the city, interviewing and searching everybody who wanted to go to the hospital. The general public were still unsure if there was only one shooter, therefore precautions were set everywhere.

"How long has it been!?" Ino's mother exclaimed.

"Almost two hours," Shikamaru replied.

"Well, what have they said so far? How bad are her injuries? Will she survive?" Inoichi asked, his eyes looking at all of them.

"...She was shot in the chest," Sakura replied sadly, "She's still in surgery..."

"Sakura, you're a nurse. Tell us… what do you think her chance of survival is?"

The pink-haired girl looked uncomfortable as Ino's parents waited for an answer.

"I...can't say… every case is different… and it depends on the projection of the bullet…. It's not easy to say," she replied quickly, squirming in her seat uncomfortably.

"Who...shot her?"

"An ill man who had been harassing the hospital for months," came in Dr. Tsunade's response as she walked into the lobby.

"Why? And why would he target our daughter?"

Dr. Tsunade began to explain about the airplane crash from a couple of months ago, and how one of the patients treated was a young girl. As she continued with her explanation, talking about the court case and how the man lost the lawsuit, Gaara's barely visible eyebrows furrowed as he recalled Ino crying about the little girl's death. He also remembered how she had told him that the man had pushed her that day.

"Where is he!?" Inoichi asked furiously, standing up. "He thinks he can shoot my daughter just because his daughter passed away?! I don't fucking thing so-"

"He shot himself in the head shortly after," Tsunade interrupted, "He used his own gun on himself. Police are investigating to make sure that there was only one shooter."

"Was she alone when it happened?" Ino's mom asked. "Was she...alone? Did she suffer alone?"

Tsunade looked at the group, and Sakura shook her head. "No, she wasn't alone. Gaara was with her, and he did a good job at making sure she didn't bleed out more, considering her injuries."

They looked at the red-head, watching as he stared at the floor with a neutral facial expression, not bothering with saying anything. He was leaning against the wall with his hands inside his pocket, wearing another t-shirt which Kankuro had given him. Temari had urged Kankuro to get Gaara another shirt upon knowing that Ino's parents would be coming to the hospital. The last thing she wanted was for them to see their daughter's blood on Gaara.

Ino's mother walked over to him with a sad smile. She had seen him once, back when she had to drop something off for her daughter and he had been there. The woman loved Gaara's mannerism, and deep down hoped that her daughter would see this young man as more than just a roommate.

"Thank you," the woman said, hugging Gaara as she began to cry. "Th-Thank you so much for being there for her and doing everything you could have to keep her safe!"

Gaara opened his mouth to say something, but found no words as his own chest ached. The memory of Ino getting shot kept repeating itself in his mind, causing him to think of nothing else.

The door leading to the emergency room opened, revealing a tired Shizune. Everyone's attention was quickly on to her, and she gulped as she chose her next words carefully.

"We were able to stop the bleeding… and we were also able to take the bullet out… But… she slipped into a coma…"

There was a long silence as everyone registered the news. Gaara's eyes widened as the news seemed impossible to him. However, before finally registering it all and reacting, he felt Ino's mother, who had still been standing near him, collapse. He caught the older woman before she hit the floor as Inoichi rushed by his ex-wife's side. The woman let out a scream in agony at the news, something Gaara himself wanted to do as well.


	16. Family Talk

**Two weeks later…**

_They were at the club again. She was there, her long blond hair swaying back and forth with the movement of her hips as the DJ switched the beat. She danced alone, not caring at all as the spotlight was just on her._

_His teal-colored eyes watched her closely as he stood by the bar. There was chatter around him, but he didn't understand nor cared about what it was about. His gaze continued to stay on her, his eyes travelling down to her lower back as she continued dancing. He wasn't sure what pull she was using on him, but he didn't care as his feet began to move and all of the sudden, he was standing right behind her. It didn't take long for her to notice him, and she turned her head._

"_Finally joining me, roomie?"_

_He didn't respond as his hands grabbed her moving hips, gently pulling her back so her back was now touching his chest._

_She giggled before turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck, leaning her face close to his as their noses touched._

"_You aren't dancing, roomie,"_

"_I don't dance," he replied, before leaning down to place his face on the crook of her neck._

_The girl moaned as she felt his teeth nibble her sensitive skin._

_"Roomie, you're teasing me!"_

_"Am I?" he asked before lifting her up so her legs wrapped around his waist._

_With her elbows on his shoulders, she dug her hands in his fiery red hair, moaning as he kept nibbling her neck._

_The music suddenly stopped, the scene changing as they were now in her bedroom. He laid them down on her bed softly as her hands snuck inside his shirt, touching his chest. His eyes stayed on her face as he laid on top of her._

_"Take off your shirt," she commanded._

_He pulled back away from her to take off his shirt, feeling her hands touch his abdomen._

_"I like your abs," she said, running her long painted nails over them._

_"Take off your shirt," he said strictly._

_His roommate laughed before undoing the buttons from her blouse, revealing a pink lacy bra underneath. One of his hands brushed the side of her breasts, causing her to arch her back in response._

_"I didn't know that you were so interested in my breasts," she said, grabbing his attention._

_"I want more," he said, this time grabbing her skirt and gently pulling it down._

_His eyes landed on her red panties, and she teasingly poked his stomach with her big toe._

_"My face is here,"_

_He lowered himself on top of her, pressing his body on top of hers as his lips grabbed hers roughly. She giggled at his enthusiasm as he grabbed her underwear and began to pull them down her legs before undoing the buttons to his pants. She could feel his eagerness as he began to trail kisses down her chest._

_They were almost naked, his eyes closed as one of his hands reached behind her back, unclasping her bra. He threw the piece of clothing out of the way, his mouth going lower-_

**RING! RING!**

Gaara's eyes snapped open as his phone's ringtone rang right by his ear, his heart beating fast as the dream kept playing over and over his head. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, staring at the ceiling of his room as the phone continued to ring. He already knew that it was Temari calling, considering his sister had been calling him at least two times a day for the past two weeks.

He would typically pick up and talk to her for thirty minutes, knowing that the reason why she called him so much was due to her worrying about him.

Sighing, Gaara let the call go to voicemail as he sat up, groaning at the uncomfortness below his abdomen. It wasn't the first time he had a sexual dream between him and Ino. The first one he had was within the first two months of living with her. At that time, he figured that it was just a natural reaction. He couldn't deny the fact that she was very beautiful. But shortly before the shooting, in fact the day after their first argument, his dreams about her increased and it was always the same: sex. And although he wasn't experienced with women, he was honest with himself and he was sure of one thing: he missed and wanted her terribly.

It had taken him days to accept the harsh reality that his roommate was in a coma, and he blamed himself for that. Had he been faster, he could have reached her in time. Had he not grabbed her and spoken to her in such a way two days before, he could have mended the issue and been with her all day that day, that way once the shooter tried to hurt her, he could have been the one to take the bullet for her.

Gaara exited his bedroom and entered the living room, looking at the door across from him. It was Sunday morning and as he stared at the closed bedroom door of her room, he imagined her getting up much later than him, wearing some panties and tank-top. It was how she mostly slept. If she had nothing planned, she would sit on the couch and watch some reality TV. On the days she would go shopping, she would leave early and come back hours later with multiple bags and an iced tea in her hands. On her deep cleaning weekends, she would clean her bedroom and bathroom from top to bottom. Then there were laundry days - where she would do three-weeks worth of laundry in one day and leave something behind in the dryer. Usually, it would be either a sock or her panties - and he would be the one to always find them when he did his.

Shaking the memories out from his head, Gaara headed over to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He stood under the shower quickly, letting the cold water remove certain images of his roommate from his mind, as well as calm his morning urges after such a dream.

Ten minutes later, he was out of the shower and in his room, getting ready for the day. Before, his days were always more or less the same. Weekdays consisted of work, followed by gym and then home. Weekends consisted of some physical activity, usually with his brother and/or Naruto, followed by whatever Ino would ask him to do.

But now, he had a different routine. After work, he would go to the gym in order to help him get his mind out of the shooting, running for miles on the treadmill. But shortly after, he would shower and change in the gym before visiting her at the hospital. Gaara wasn't great with dealing with his emotions and the first time he saw her on the white bed with a machine hooked up to her, he wanted to dig the man who shot her out from his grave and punch him until his own knuckles broke.

He always visited her very late in the day, when her parents and everyone else weren't there anymore. Even in a comatose state, he wanted it to be just him and her.

Gaara's phone vibrated as he finished putting his shoes on, and he looked at the new text from his sister.

_ "Hey, how are you doing? Are you awake?" _

_ "I'm OK. Just going for a walk. I'll call you later," _

_ "OK. Please call me back when you can." _

_ "OK," _

He left the apartment, hands deep inside his pocket as he made his way towards the hospital.

The front-desk receptionists already knew him by now, considering he had been visiting the same room every single day. And every time they saw him, they would give him a sad smile, and he knew that that sad smile meant that Ino had so far not woken up.

He walked towards her room, opening the door gently as his eyes quickly landed on her resting body. He noticed the fresh new flowers in the room, and knew that her mother must have been in here hours ago.

Gaara sat on the chair next to the bed, grabbing her thin hands and rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. The first few times he visited her, he found it difficult to speak. He hadn't been sure what to say, but knew that he wanted to say something in order for her to hear his voice, if that was even possible.

"Ino," he said her name, rubbing the inside of her palm with his finger,

His teal gaze went back to her face, and to him she looked like an angel. Her long hair was braided to the side, something he found suited her. Her nails were painted purple, and Gaara smiled as he imagined her mother doing her hair and painting her nails.

"The apartment is quiet without you," he continued speaking, "I'm having a hard time staying in there… I miss cooking with you...having dinner with you… I miss you… a lot,"

Most of the time, they would cook and eat dinner together. It never felt strange. As a matter of fact, he enjoyed it.

"Neighbors have been asking about you. They...ask me if you moved out… I had to tell them what happened. The guy from upstairs is no longer playing loud music," he said with a sad smile, recalling the times a very tired and pissed off Ino would stump out of her room and towards the upstairs neighbor's apartment, ready to yell at him about keeping his terrible music down.

"Baki thinks I should take a week off,"

Baki was his supervisor, and the man kept telling him to take a week off. Gaara had accumulated almost a month's worth of paid vacation time off. But there was no point in taking days off. What would he do?

The first time Baki had suggested he take some days off, Gaara had refused. But after getting home and sitting in the lonely apartment, he had come up with the idea of taking a vacation with Ino. Lying in bed before sleep, he would imagine going on vacation with her - somewhere far and beautiful. A place that would help her heal physically and mentally. And he would be there to help her.

"...If I take time off… It's to spend it with you," he said, placing her hand between his. "I know that by the time you wake up, you will require time to heal… And I'll be there for you...if you still want me to…"

The last few words panged his chest, the sudden question hitting him hard. What if she didn't want anything to do with him? Groaning, Gaara stared at the ceiling, swallowing as the idea of her despising him caused an ache to his chest.

On weekdays, he would spend almost an hour at the hospital with her. But on weekends, he would stay for almost four hours. Part of him stayed that long in case she woke up. He didn't want her waking up to an empty room. By the time the four hours were almost up, either her parents or her friends would arrive.

Today it was just her father, who greeted him with a sad smile and asked how he was doing. Gaara always lied when replying, telling him that he was OK. But in reality, he felt like breaking down at the fact that there was a possibility that Ino would never wake up.

Gaara left the hospital, remembering to call Temari back as he made his way back to his apartment.

"Gaara,"

Hearing his name being called, the red-haired man turned around, watching as Fu walked over to him.

"I knew I would find you here. I just didn't know when," she said sadly.

He opened his mouth to say something, but wasn't sure. He hadn't spoken to her since right after the shooting. Not because he was purposely ignoring her - but because his mind was so preoccupied with Ino's well being that he wasn't in the mood to speak with Fu.

"You know I've been calling and texting you for weeks now and you don't respond… I even went to visit your apartment….multiple times...but you weren't there…"

"Sorry… I've been...preoccupied…" he replied, feeling guilty about pushing her aside.

Fu nodded, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I know… I know that your roommate's shooting has affected you a lot… I can see that! But I...don't want to lose you… I miss you and…"

Gaara sighed before walking over to her. He spoke up, finally saying the words that he should have told her a long time ago. "Fu, I am sorry… But I just can't right now…"

"It's OK, we can move slowly...at your own pace-"

"No," he said with a slight shake of his head, "I… Fu… I don't think I can do this with you… at all… I'm sorry for not speaking to you earlier about it."

Fu's eyebrows narrowed. "...Why? This is nothing against her but...I thought you two were just...roommates! I mean…"

"I'm not good at this," Gaara said honestly to her, "I messed up. I thought being around you would help me think of Ino as just a friend...but I was wrong…"

"So you used me?"

"No, I.." Gaara mentally cursed. He really was not good at this at all. "You are a nice person… But I just don't have those feelings...about you… And it would be unfair to both of us to force it..."

Fu crossed her arms impatiently over her chest. "So all it took was for her to get shot for you to realize that you actually did like her all this time?"

Gaara didn't reply as he wanted to get out of this conversation asap. In truth, he had always liked Ino, and in more ways than just a friend. But his own inexperience and misunderstanding about emotions and love caused him to miss the opportunity of being with her instead. Of approaching her from the beginning.

"I've always had feelings for her," he eventually replied.

Fu made a noise of disbelief before rolling her eyes. "You're a fucking asshole, Gaara,"

The young man didn't respond as she walked away, agreeing with her on that fact - he really was an asshole.

* * *

By the time Gaara reached the apartment, he found Temari right by the apartment door. He knew that sooner or later, he would have to stop avoiding his sister's probing questions.

"How long have you been here?" he asked as he unlocked the door and held it opened for her.

"Not that long," she replied, walking over to the living room and sitting down on the couch.

"Want something to drink?"

"Nah, I'm good."

He walked over to the living room and sat on a chair across from her. He knew he was about to get a lecture from her about something.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, crossing her legs.

Gaara shrugged. "I'm fine…"

"You sure? You've been distant...more distant than usual. I know this has affected more than what you want to admit,"

Her brother sighed, looking towards the window. "...I...have dreams of her, Temari. More dreams than usual…"

"Dreams about her being...shot?"

"No," he shook his head, "Just dreams of her and I being together… Like if we're a couple…"

"I think it's your subconscious, Gaara," she said, "I think there's more to how you're feeling about her…"

"...And...I broke up with Fu today…"

The news caused Temari to raise an eyebrow. "...I'll be honest with you… It's about damn time! No offense to the girl but she was...annoying. Did you even feel anything towards her?"

Gaara shrugged at the question, "Fu was nice, and part of me didn't mind being around her. But looking back...I never felt happy with her. Not genuinely happy. I never even considered myself being in a full relationship with her…"

"Then why go out with her?"

"Because I'm a fucking idiot," he said bitterly, "Her and I never even discussed wanting to be in a relationship. But one day she referred to me as her boyfriend and I wasn't sure what to do. I thought that maybe...I needed to give it more time… but the more I tried, the more unhappy I became. Fuck...there were times where she would be talking and I would be thinking about Ino…"

Temari didn't reply, knowing that it was best to let her youngest brother keep talking. Gaara had a habit of keeping things to himself and not talking to anyone. It was something he did ever since the death of their mother.

Gaara stood from the chair and paced around the room impatiently. "That day...Fu was here...talking… I wasn't even paying attention. It was late and I was thinking about Ino… I guess Fu must've known or something… she fucking kissed me out of nowhere and next thing I knew, Ino was right there. I didn't know what to fucking do."

Temari suddenly remembered that day. "She called Shikamaru that night...heartbroken…"

Gaara looked at her, "I figured… I heard her crying afterwards and when I asked her about it next day… shit turned ugly… we had an argument."

"Seriously? Why?"

"She told me that she loved me and like an idiot, I didn't do anything… Shit… we went back and forth… she said something about my tattoo… I snapped and grabbed her… Fucking shit, Temari. I grabbed her! I felt like our father every time he put his hands on mom," Gaara's voice became shaky as he sat next to his sister, "I was so fucking ashamed of grabbing her like that that I left... Like a fucking coward…"

Temari was shocked at the revelation, and it was something she had been afraid of while growing up. All three of them had witnessed how their father had treated their mother, and she always prayed that neither her or her brothers became like that with anyone.

"Whenever I think about it," Gaara continued, "And I think about how she was shot right in front of me… I always imagine myself getting the bullet, not her. If I could go back in time, I would take that bullet for her."

"And get yourself killed?" Temari scolded, "I understand your guilt, but what if you died taking that bullet? Do you think Ino would've been OK with that? What you're not realizing is that she likes you too! You getting injured would've broken her heart too."

"...She doesn't deserve to be hurt like that…"

"I know… but you getting shot wouldn't have saved her. Let's say you did take the bullet for her… What do you think that shooter would've done next? He would've shot her! And then both of you would've been bleeding to death!"

Gaara didn't reply for a couple of minutes, his gaze hard on the floor.

"...I miss her, Temari…"

"I know… and we all do…"

"I miss her more than what I could've imagined… I...I'm scared that she'll never wake up."

Temari watched as a tear rolled down Gaara's cheek.

"I'm scared that she will leave me… I missed my fucking chance… and I don't know what to fucking do… I visit her every day hoping that she will wake up… I talk to her hoping that when she does, she doesn't forget my voice… Sorry, I'm not used to this…" he said, wiping the tears away.

"No, this is good. Gaara, you need to stop keeping all of this pain to yourself and think that you're the only one hurting. We're all hurting! When mom died, it wasn't just you who was hurting! Kankuro and I also suffered."

"...I was in the car when it happened," Gaara said, his memories taking him back to when it all happened. "...I could've...stopped her… I could've done something."

"Oh for fuck's sake Gaara, you were a kid! Don't blame yourself for mom's mistake!" Temari said, feeling her own tears rolling down her cheeks. "Fuck… You know what it's like to grow up, as a female, without a mother? No one was there to help me go through fucking life as I grew up. You at least had a therapist and a program to help you cope but I was also broken and so was Kankuro!"

Gaara looked at her with wide eyes as his sister looked away, her tears falling down to her lap. "I had to learn how to do my own hair...and then puberty came and everything became worse. You know how embarrassing it was the first time I got my period in school and dad had to come into school with pads because he was not sure what to fucking do!? He kept asking the nurse to make him a list of everything he had to do and that's just...fucking embarrassing! And then whenever I had to go bra shopping, dad had to come with me because who else would come? Who else did we have? I remember dad asking the sale lady about the type of bra I should be wearing at fucking eleven and I just wanted to run away! Mom should've been there!"

Temari stood up and walked towards the window, staring at the other apartment buildings across the street with teary red eyes. "You know, Sakura's mom is being very hands on with ensuring that Sakura's wedding dress is perfect. Who's going to do that for me? Kankuro met a girl, by the way. They've been going out for a week and he likes her… a lot. I think he may be in love with her. We were talking randomly one night and he… he started crying because it hit him that he will never have a mother-son dance whenever he decides to get married!"

Gaara didn't reply, watching as his sister began to wipe her tears away before looking back at him.

"I...didn't know that Kankuro was dating someone…"

"He is… He just didn't want to tell you yet because he didn't want you feeling a certain way…."

"I still wish he had told me,"

"Gaara, you're so distant that we don't know how you'll react! I am trying my best to make sure that our little family doesn't fall apart, but I can't do it alone! I know dad hasn't been the best but...shit he tried, OK? After mom died, he tried! He tried to become that mother figure, at least for me. And although I did not like the way he treated mom, he is still our father and there have been many times where he has been there for me! Like that time…" Temari stopped but Gaara raised an eyebrow at her.

"Like that time what?"

"Forget it…"

"No, tell me. I want to hear it."

"No,"

"Temari,"

"It was years ago, doesn't matter."

"I don't care. You're my sister-"

"I was almost raped… Before high school graduation… I was acquainted with these two guys and then...one day...they gave me something and next thing I knew, I was on the floor and they were taking my clothes off. It was by dumb fucking luck that this random chick had walked in on them and quickly got help… Because if she hadn't… I don't even want to think about what would've happened."

Gaara felt his anger and shock rising. No one had told him about this… "...What happened afterwards?"

"They ran away," she said, "I think they gave me some rape drug because I don't remember many details, and I prefer it that way. I was at the hospital, dad and Kankuro were there. Police were involved and they just charged those guys with drug possession and not attempted rape. They made the argument that I had consented to everything… but I call bullshit on that."

"Where are they now?" Gaara asked angrily, and Temari shrugged.

"Probably married with a beautiful wife and two kids? Who knows, Gaara. But if it makes you feel better… Kankuro and Rock Lee went after them one night and beat them pretty...bad…"

"Kankuro...and Rock Lee?"

Temari nodded. "Yup. The same Rock Lee who pledges on not resorting to violence… you know, the one you fought years ago.. Same Lee…"

Gaara was speechless as he ran his hand through his hair. "I should've been there,"

"You were busy getting better," Temari said, "We didn't want you relapsing and getting worse… Also, I wasn't sure if you would've cared."

Gaara looked at her in disbelief. "Of course I would've cared. I'm just...angry at the fact that mom, you and Ino got hurt and I did nothing to help."

"Oh stop it," she snapped, "None of those situations were your fault!"

"...But I could've been there more...for all three of you…"

Temari gave him a sad smile as she sat back down next to him. "You've been through a lot yourself as well… Don't be too hard on yourself for feeling like you haven't done anything for us."

He gave her a serious look. "Temari, you are my sister. I should be protecting you as well,"

"It's OK, I have Shika now," she said with a smile, and Gaara snorted at her.

"You mean the guy who fell down the stairs while talking to you?"

"Yes, that one," she replied with a laugh.

Gaara let out a small chuckle, causing his sister to look at him happily. It has been a very long time since she's seen her brother loosen up and be happy.

Gaara shifted closer to her and placed his arm around her in a hugging way, Temari then resting her head on his shoulder.

"Still," he said, "I am your brother and I should've paid more attention. I'm sorry."

"...Thanks…" she said, staring at the black screen of the living room TV. "I'm glad we had this talk. I was afraid that another family member would...you know...leave"

"Thanks for checking up on me," Gaara said, "You have been doing a great job at making sure of that."

Temari smiled, "Thanks. Just...make it a bit easier for me, OK?"

"I will…"

"Good. And Gaara?"

"...Yeah?"

"I'm sure Ino will wake up… And then you both can continue where things left off… You also need to realize that she feels the same way about you as you feel about her…"

"I fucking miss her, Temari… I miss her terribly… and I'm scared that she'll change her mind about me after waking up…"

"She won't,"

He didn't say anything, letting everything that his sister just said run through his mind.


	17. Glimpse of the past

Before leaving, Temari had told Gaara about their father's new girlfriend. And as expected, her brother didn't react fondly about it. The idea of another woman, a stranger, coming into his family's life as a replacement for his mother bothered him tremendously.

"You know that after mom died….dad hadn't seen anyone. He spent time taking care of us,"

Gaara didn't say anything, his memories taking him back to when his dad would micromanage everything he and his siblings did.

"I know you and dad had problems," Temari said, "And I wish he had been a better parent while we were growing up… But you need to understand, dad isn't getting any younger. We're all adults now and it's OK if he wants to...focus more on himself with someone he likes. It doesn't mean that mom is forgotten. She never will be forgotten,"

She watched as her brother stared at the floor, his arms resting on his knees. Ever since Gaara had moved out for college, the distance between him and their father grew. The only time he would come home was during holidays and summer breaks, mostly because she would beg him to come home. And when he would be home, he didn't bother acknowledging his father, despite their father trying his best on getting his youngest son's attention.

"She...wants to have a family dinner...with all of us," Temari added, eyeing her brother as he turned his head towards her.

"Why?"

"Well, her and dad have been dating for almost a year actually. I met her months ago...and so has Kankuro. She has no children. But she wants to make dinner for all of us, and she's always wondering about you,"

"No," Gaara said with a shake of his head, "I rather not…"

"Gaara, she's actually very nice-"

"Temari, I rather not. You and Kankuro can go, but I'm not interested. Nor will I ever be,"

His sister sighed and nodded, knowing that it was better to save her breath rather than wasting time trying to change her brother's opinion. The tension between him and their father was too complex for it to be resolved by just having dinner time, especially around the woman who has now captured their father's attention.

"Well, I gotta get 're trying out dresses later today for Sakura's wedding,"

Gaara nodded and walked her over to the front door, thanking her for talking to him.

"Anytime, baby brother," Temari said while pinching one of his cheeks.

He rolled his eyes at her and closed the door.

Now that he was alone, he laid on the couch and closed his eyes, his mind immediately thinking about his blond haired roommate.

* * *

The following day after work, he skipped the gym. Work had been slow, and because of that, his thoughts were on Ino majority of the day. Therefore, once it turned four-thirty in the afternoon, he left his work laptop locked in his desk and left.

As usual, the front desk receptionists greeted him with sad smiles, the gesture letting him know that so far, Ino has not woken up.

Gaara walked into the room, his eyes on her sleeping form as he sat on the chair next to her. Despite the fact that he couldn't have a conversation with her, Gaara found that speaking to her was calming. As usual, he would grab her hand and rub his thumb over her knuckles, wondering if she would love the gesture if she were awake.

"My father called me today," Gaara started, remembering the phone call he received early in the morning while getting ready for work. "I...did not pick up."

The moment the phone call came, Gaara had just simply stared at his phone until it stopped ringing. He didn't remember the last time he had spoken with his father, but remembering what Temari had said the day before, he hadn't felt like dealing with him. Not today, at least.

"Temari told me that he is dating some woman… He's been dating her for some time. And she wants for all of us to have dinner. I can't do it. It feels...wrong," he said, the image of his mother appearing in his mind as he remembered everything from that day…

_Despite being young, Gaara knew that his parents were arguing again. He had been in bed with the teddy bear that his mother had given him months ago when he heard his mother cry. Kankuro had been sleeping in the other bed as he slipped off the bed and tiptoed out his room._

_The bedroom he shared with Kankuro was just adjacent from his parents' room. Their door wasn't fully closed, and quietly, he leaned against the door and watched as his parents went back and forth._

_"Rasa, please-"_

_"I already told you! I don't want to discuss this anymore!"_

_"Please keep your voice down," Karura pleaded, "You'll wake the children."_

_"They can go back to sleep if they do!"_

_Gaara watched as his mother shook her head in disbelief as his father walked around the room, escaping from his view. He could see the tears rolling down his mother's face as she sat on the corner of the bed and covered her face. Her shoulders began to tremble and Gaara knew that she was now crying. He thought that crying was just something kids did whenever they would get hurt. But that idea shattered in his young mind upon seeing his mom cry multiple times. And it was always after arguing with his father._

_"What are you doing out of bed!?"_

_Gaara flinched as Rasa glared at him, stomping over to him and opening the door to glare down at him. The eight-year old boy stood frozen as his father grabbed him roughly by his arm, prompting his mother to run over to them._

_"Don't you dare touch him like that!" Karura said, pushing Rasa away before picking her youngest boy up._

_"You mother that boy too much!" her husband said, walking away from them. "Keep doing that and he'll never grow up to be a man!"_

_"He's only a child, Rasa," Karura said, "Stop treating him like how your father treated you. He will grow up resenting you, just like how you resent your own fath-"_

_"Don't do you dare continue that line!" Rasa yelled, pointing a finger at her._

_Karura didn't reply as she turned around and left with Gaara still in her arms. She entered the kitchen and sat him down on the dining chair. His curious eyes watched her as she grabbed a glass of milk and cookies and placed it in front of him. The young boy smiled as he began to eat._

_"My sweet little Gaara," Karura sang, ruffling her son's bright red hair._

_"Why were you and dad arguing?" he asked._

_"Oh… just some… adult stuff. Don't worry… I still love your father very much."_

_"Love?"_

_"Yup," Karura said sadly, "Love is what keeps the world moving… It's what keeps people, especially families, intact…"_

_"Does daddy love you?"_

_The question caused her to frown even more, and Karura looked away as her eyes got watery again. Gaara frowned too, unsure about why his mother's emotion suddenly changed. He didn't get an answer from her as he watched her stand up and walk over to one of the cabinets in the kitchen. She opened it and took out a large glass bottle, which had something that looked like water inside. His mother opened it and placed it_ _on her lips, drinking the content. He recognized the bottle. It was something his mom always drank after an argument with dad._

_She did not finish the bottle, but held it tightly in her hands before turning to him._

_"Love can hurt so much," she said, "It can be beautiful… and ugly,"_

_Karura smiled at him before pushing her hair back with her hand, revealing the small red tattoo on her forehead. Gaara had always been amazed by it._

_"Why don't we go for a quick drive? Just you and me?"_

_Gaara smiled and nodded excitedly. He loved taking car rides with his mother. She would always play his favorite songs while driving around._

_"Alright, let's go!"_

_Gaara stood up and grabbed his mother's hand as she led him out of the house._

_It was a rainy Friday night as Gaara sat on the back seat of his mother's SUV. Karura was still in her nightgown as she got behind the wheel. He watched as she took another long drink of the white liquid before placing the bottle on the passenger seat._

_"Where are we going this time?" Gaara asked, watching her through sleepy eyes. It was way past his bedtime now._

_His mother's eyes were red as she looked at him from the rearview mirror._

_"...Well, it's dark...so there won't be much to see. How about just..driving around? Does that sound OK with you?"_

_"Yes!" Gaara said, leaning back against the seat._

_"OK then!" Karura said, her hand shaking as she turned on the ignition. "Don't forget seatbelts on!"_

_Nodding, Gaara put on the seatbelt and lowered the window, watching the nearby houses as his mother pulled out of the driveway and began to drive._

_As usual, she played the music he liked as she took him around the dark silent neighborhood. Gaara felt the cold wind hitting his face as he looked around, recognizing some of the houses in which some of his schoolmates lived in. They passed by his school and then by the community park. As his mother's vehicle came to a slow, he noticed the sandbox by the park and smiled. Playing with sand was something he always enjoyed. Whenever he would be at the beach, he would always create sand castles and other cool objects._

_Gaara jumped in his seat as he felt the vehicle come to a sudden stop before accelerating quickly._

_"Mom?" he asked, watching as his mother's head tilted to the side._

_"Mom? Did you fall asleep?"_

_There was no response, and the young boy suddenly began to worry. Why wasn't his mom responding?_

_The SUV kept accelerating and although he knew nothing about driving, he knew that he had to make it stop._

_Gaara undid his seatbelt and leaned forward, his small hands touching his mother's shoulder._

_"Mom-"_

_**Crash**!_

Gaara opened his eyes as he stopped relaying the nightmare, primarily due to the fact that he didn't remember what had happened immediately after. The only thing he remembered after that was waking up and his dad talking to some doctor.

"...I dream about my mom," Gaara continued, his gaze going back towards his unconscious roommate. "While growing up, I dreamt about her a lot. Sometimes they were nice dreams… sometimes they were nightmares, where she would be dying over and over."

In some of the dreams, he would be standing on the side of the road, watching as the SUV would hit the tree with great impact. In his dreams, no airbags were deployed, and he would see his mother's head hit the steering wheel hard. In those dreams, he would try to run and stop her from even getting into the car. He didn't care whether he saved himself or not. He just wanted to save her. But every time, it would be too late.

And now, his dreams were mostly about his roommate. Some were about intimacy, while others were about losing her over and over.

But unlike his mother, Ino wasn't completely gone. She was still here; just not awake. And that pained him a lot.

Standing up, Gaara walked over to her bed and looked down at her, the back of his fingers touching her soft cheek.

"I miss you so much," he said lowly, "I don't know how I would cope if I were to lose you too… Ino, I need you to wake up...for me…"

No movement, and he felt his heart sinking. He looked at the clock and saw as it hit eleven at night, and he knew that he should get home. Looking back down at her, he bent down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. He knew that it was a bold move, considering the tension that was between them right before the incident. But something in him had to do it. He had to show her some affection, just in case maybe she was still able to hear and feel everything.

* * *

**Next Day…**

The company he worked for was in the midst of acquiring another company. And along the extra revenue that would bring, it also brought new opportunities for every employee.

Today had been a long day with nothing but non-stop meetings. At first Gaara hadn't been sure why he had to sit in almost an entire day worth of meetings. However, after Baki had told him that he was being promoted to a more senior position (with a generous pay raise), Gaara understood why he was invited to all of the communication. Baki wanted him to lead the software development effort for the acquisition.

Neji, who was in charge of the business aspect of the acquisition, had been the one mostly presenting the meetings. Gaara sat in the back of the conference room quietly, his mind half listening to what his colleague and friend was saying, and half thinking about Ino.

It was near five in the afternoon, and he knew that it would be another hour before he could get to the gym and then to the hospital.

"This is great," Kurenai, a director overseeing the acquisition, said as Neji finished his presentation.

The younger man nodded before taking a seat on the chair next to Gaara. The meeting continued with Kurenai now presenting.

Neji's phone vibrated a couple times, and the young man checked his text swiftly. Gaara watched as Neji's eyes widened and he sat up straight in his chair, and he wondered if maybe Daisy, Tenten's dog, ran away again. It hadn't been the first time Neji had received a text from Tenten that the chihuahua had escaped.

The meeting finished after another thirty minutes, and everyone left the conference room.

The red-head had been so busy in his thoughts that he did not notice the long-haired male walking over to him. Gaara turned his head towards him.

"What's up?"

"I just got a text from Tenten," Neji said, the corner of his lips rising a bit. "She told me that Ino woke up a couple of hours ago…"

"Wh-What?! Are you… Is she sure?"

Neji gave a nod. "She got the confirmation from Sakura. They believe that she had been awake for much longer. When the nurse went in to check on her this morning, she had been staring at the ceiling and was very disoriented."

Gaara remembered visiting her the previous night, and wondered if somehow she had woken up not too longer after he left. Part of him wished that she had woken up much earlier, so he could've been there for her. He could imagine the confusion going through her mind right now.

"I need to see her. Do you need me for anything?"

"No, I think we've wrapped up for today. Go see her."

With a nod, Gaara exited the room before eventually walking rapidly out of the building. He could feel his heart beating faster as he rushed down the busy streets, making sure not to bump into anyone as residents began their commute home. With his mind preoccupied with the news, Gaara's legs simply walked, the route between his job and the hospital already engraved within his consciousness.

He entered the hospital and the front-desk receptionist gave him a large smile.

"She's awake," the older woman mouthed while giving him a visitor pass, and Gaara couldn't help but smile back. "She's in a different room now though. You're going to have to go upstairs to see her. Room 425."

Muttering a thanks, Gaara rushed up the stairs. He could feel his chest compress even more, nervous as he wondered how she would react. Would she even remember him?

He suddenly came to a stop as he saw room 425. The door was slightly opened and he could hear laughter. He heard Sakura and Tenten giggling. Then he heard Ino's father saying something else. And finally, he heard her. He heard her voice. His mind didn't register what she said, but the sound of her voice going through his ears was enough to cause his heart to nearly escape his chest in anticipation.

Silently he walked forward and stopped by the door, his eyes quickly landing on her. Her long blonde hair was down and she was sitting up, her eyebrows furrowing at something that her father was saying. Despite being unconscious for weeks, she looked tired. However, that didn't keep her from talking back to whatever her father was saying.

He had been standing there quietly, staring at her features, that he didn't notice her turn her head towards him and stare at him for a while before giving a wide beautiful smile.

"Hey, Roomie,"


	18. New Chapter

Her room became packed in a matter of minutes, and Gaara simply stood in the back. In a way, he preferred it that way. He had never thought about what to do the moment she would wake up. His mind was focused more on wanting her to wake up; for things to go back to how they were before.

The moment he had walked inside her room, he felt his heart drop with guilt as the memories from their fight went through his mind. Her tired yet beautiful blue eyes stared at him, and he wanted nothing more than to hug her. To hug her and apologize.

Yet, all he had muttered was a 'hey', and her smile got even brighter at that. She knew him so well - she knew that he wasn't outspoken. That he preferred to have these types of conversations in private.

Shortly after he had arrived, the room became more crowded as Temari, Shikamaru, and more of their friends entered. As much as he wanted some privacy with her, he wasn't upset at the fact that it would probably take some time before it would be just the two of them. For her, he would wait.

Standing in the back with his arms crossed in front of his chest, Gaara watched as the females in the room held the majority of the conversations with her.

"Look, I can finally walk in these things!" Tenten exclaimed while walking around the room with high heels on.

Ino watched with an impressed facial expression as her brunette friend did not fall down or slip. "That's awesome! Looks like you did do your homework,"

"Of course I did! I wanted to make you proud!"

Ino awed at her, motioning the girl to give her a hug. After they separated, Ino stared at the rest of her friends.

"Alright, what else happened while I was out?"

"Shika's ankle is healed," Temari said with a smirk, "And he's started practicing for the wedding,"

Shikamaru groaned as he knew that he was about to be the subject of discussion. Ino's mischievous blue eyes met his, and he knew he was about to be in trouble.

"Shika is finally dancing?"

"Oh yeah," Naruto chimed in, "You should've seen how Lee and Temari had to drag him just to get up!"

"Oh, I wish I was there to have seen it," Ino said with a groan.

"It's OK, I recorded it," Sakura said, sitting next to her best friend and holding her smartphone in front of her.

Ino giggled as she watched the video. As everyone centered around the phone and re-watched how Temari and Lee dragged a lazy Shikamaru to the dance floor, Gaara simply stood back and continued to watch her. Although she looked fatigued, his gaze didn't stray away.

"Yo, why are you staring at her like she's some big fat juicy steak?" Naruto whispered to him, and Gaara quickly shook his head at him.

"I was not...staring at her," he whispered back.

Naruto smirked at him, and Gaara knew he was about to be the next topic of conversation.

"Hey Gaara," Naruto said louder, catching everybody else's attention now, "How do you feel now that Roomie is awake?"

Gaara's teal eyes narrowed as his blonde-haired friend wiggled his eyebrows at him. He should have known that telling Naruto about his feelings towards Ino was a bad idea. Had it not been for everyone currently staring at him with a curious expression, he would have put his friend in a chokehold.

"...I'm...glad she's awake," he replied, looking at her face expression and becoming unsure if she was disappointed or not at his response. Even though she wasn't frowning, her smile wasn't as radiant as before. His chest compressed and he knew that he had to tell her how he felt sooner than later. He didn't want her to continue believing that he felt nothing about her.

To his relief, the conversation changed again. It was mostly the females talking again. They showed Ino the dresses they had tried on and told her that so far, they have not made their purchase. They all hoped that she would wake up in order for all of them to buy the dresses together.

It was about another hour until several members began to leave the room. It was getting late and Ino herself had to be re-evaluated by the medical staff.

Gaara purposely stayed behind as Sakura and Tenten were the last ones to leave. With everyone gone, the room was extremely quiet, and the atmosphere quickly turned awkward. Gaara knew that he didn't have enough time to talk to her - the nurses would come back anytime soon.

Sighing, Ino turned her gaze back to him and gave him a shy smile. His heart pounded as he anxiously waited for her to say something.

"I...owe you my portion of rent… and utilities. I already told my dad about it and he's going to bring you a check tomorrow,"

It wasn't what he expected from her, but he quickly shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I paid those bills already,"

Ino frowned at him, "But that's not fair for you! My name is on those bills too. So by default, I have to pay half of everything,"

"Ino," he said, walking over to her, "You got shot. Don't worry about the bills. I already paid this month and can pay next month. It won't be a problem,"

"But-"

"Ino, focus on getting better,"

His roommate stared at him with wide eyes before she gave him a small smile. "You are a great friend,"

Gaara remained silent even though he wanted to disagree with her. She may believe that, but he didn't. Especially after the awkward argument they had before the accident. Every time he thought about it, his guilt grew. And he knew that until they had a conversation and he apologized to her about it, he wouldn't be able to move on. Clearing his throat, Gaara stood closer to her bed and held one of her hands. Ino looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Ino…"

"Y-Yeah?"

"I'm so-"

"Excuse me, sir, but visiting time is over. You can come back tomorrow,"

Gaara mentally cursed as the short nurse walked inside the room. Ino gave him a sad smile upon seeing his irritated facial expression.

"It's OK, we can keep talking tomorrow,"

He nodded at her, giving her hand a slight squeeze before letting go. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Ino."

"Goodnight, Roomie,"

* * *

_Next Day…_

Even though he left work earlier than usual, Gaara chose to visit the hospital much later. He knew that her parents would be there for many hours. And while he was anxious to see her, he preferred to wait until they had left in order for him to have the privacy he needed.

He stayed at the gym longer than usual in order to kill time. As he lifted and did extraneous strength training, his mind went through the various ways he would tell her how he felt. He would start with apologizing to her about the way he had reacted weeks ago. How he had grabbed her in such a way. He was not going to be like his father.

Upon finishing his workout, Gaara rushed to his apartment and freshened up. Although he was just going to the hospital, he made sure to look sharper than usual. The uncertainty between them bothered him, and he wanted that resolved.

Once finished, he left the apartment and quickly made his way to the hospital. On his way there, he stopped by a flower shop as the owner was about to close for the day.

"Excuse me," he said, grabbing the older woman's attention, "Can I quickly purchase this?"

The woman smiled at him and nodded, grabbing the small stuffed bear and putting it inside a pink bag.

After the purchase, he continued his route towards the hospital. The front-desk receptionist, already knowing him from the previous visits, greeted him while providing a visitor pass. With the pink bag in one hand, Gaara then made his way towards her room. His anticipation grew the closer he got to her door. He saw how it wasn't closed entirely, only leaving a small gap for him to be able to see inside the room. Stopping by the door, he gently pushed it open, ready to call her name to make her aware of his presence. But the sight of her soft cries and trembling shoulders made him stop, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Ino?"

She flinched at the sound of his voice and turned her head towards the door, the back of her hands quickly wiping the tears away.

"...Oh! H-Hey! S-Sorry...I didn't...hear you come in…"

Gaara entered the room, closing the door behind him as his eyes scanned her wet face. She was facing away from him as she continued to wipe the tears away. Pulling the chair next to her bed, he sat down and grabbed one of her hands.

"Why are you crying?"

"Sorry...I was just… It's nothing-"

"No," he said with a shake of his head, "I know you to know that it's not just nothing. Tell me, why are you crying?"

She stared at him for a while, and he quickly guessed what she was thinking about. It was the same question he had asked her shortly before the argument. At that time, he had been too busy digesting the news to actually evaluate what she had been going through. It was a mistake he would always regret. This time though, he would stay and listen. He would do that for her.

"...I...was just thinking about my life… And how it's now going to affect my future moving forward…"

He rubbed her knuckles gently, indicating to her that he was listening. Ino stared at his hand over hers before continuing.

"...I...Before the shooting, there were things I wanted to re-evaluate in my life. I was seeing how everyone else was moving on and doing something with their lives… and I wanted to do the same. I wanted to achieve something...and move on from certain situations…"

Certain situations. He knew what she meant by that, and it killed him to know that he was part of the reason why she was feeling this way. Gaara's grip on her hand tightened a bit, signaling her to continue.

"And then this happened. Now, I need to spend the next couple of weeks in physical therapy instead of living my life the way I wanted. I can't even help my best friend with her wedding plans! I had so many ideas… and instead… some prick ruined my life a-a-and n-now… I-I c-can't…"

Her crying continued and Gaara shifted to sit next to her on the bed. His right arm wrapped around her trembling shoulders as he pulled her closer to him, allowing her to lean against his chest and cry. He felt her hot tears as it smeared through his t-shirt, and he rubbed her arm soothingly. His other arm came around her and he hugged her, his own heart aching for the pain he knew she was feeling. Thinking about how everything happened so quickly, he didn't need her to tell him that everything had gone against her favor. First, he caused her pain and shortly before he wanted to apologize, she was shot.

"...I-I ruined your shirt…" Ino said, pulling away a bit as her wet blue eyes looked at the wetness right by his chest, "Sorry…"

"It's fine," Gaara said, "And don't ever apologize to me, Ino. You've done nothing wrong,"

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him with a confused expression. "Gaara, I really am sorry for saying those things to you weeks ago… It was inconsiderate,"

He leaned his forehead against hers, lifting his arm so one hand rested on her cheek. He saw how the act surprised her, a light blush appearing on her face as his thumb brushed her lips. He remembered when she had told him how she felt for him; and although he missed his chance back then, he wasn't going to miss the chance this time.

"I reacted terribly to your confession...and even grabbed you out of anger. I caused that pain you've felt… I'm sorry, Ino. I'm sorry for hurting you."

He studied her gaze as her lips trembled into a smile. He smiled back at her as he wiped a few of her remaining tears. Knowing that this was his chance, that for him it was now or never, Gaara leaned in and kissed her.

Her body tensed initially, her arms squished uncomfortably between their bodies. His hand traveled from her cheek to the back of her head as her lips slowly moved to kiss him back. The nervousness and anticipation that he felt before washed away, replaced with a sense of happiness as he pulled her closer. But just as he was ready to deepen the kiss, her shaking hands went to his chest and she gently pushed him back.

"Gaara… no… wait,"

They were both breathless, and he looked at her with a perplexed expression. She bit her bottom lip before meeting his gaze again.

"...I can't do this… It's not fair… to her. I don't want to be that type of woman,"

"...To who?"

"To Fu, Gaara. Despite how I feel about you, I also don't want to be that woman to break a relationship."

Realizing what she meant, Gaara sighed. "Fu and I are no longer together."

"Since when?"

"Few days ago…"

"...M-May I ask why?"

She looked at him while waiting for an answer. "...I… was no longer interested. In fact, I don't think I was fully invested in what she wanted,"

"Then why continue the relationship?"

"...Because I felt bad for hurting her. At first, I thought that she was who I wanted… But after some time, I couldn't get myself to be emotionally involved. And after you told me how you felt, I became even more confused. I wasn't sure how to tell her that I didn't want anything from her…"

"I can understand," she replied lowly, "But it's been a few days…. You need to give yourself time to truly understand what you really want in a relationship…."

Teal eyes narrowed as he disapproved of that. "...I know what I want…" He held her hand again as he continued his response, "I made a mistake not telling you how I felt… And when I did want to tell you, you were hurt. I sat here every day, hoping you would wake up so I could tell you how much I loved you,"

Ino blinked in surprise. Sakura did tell her that he had visited her every day while she was in a coma. That he would come alone and stay for many hours. But never had she figured that he would also feel that way too. Her intuition had always told her that he probably lusted for her, if anything, but never felt anything emotionally. But as stunning as his confession was, things were different now.

"I thought you hated me, Gaara. I felt terrible after all of that. Seeing you with Fu broke my heart. Remember that day when she was with us for that hike? Remember when I left? It was because I couldn't stand the sight of the two of you together. It was too much. And then you would do things that would confuse me. You would get close to me….and touch me. I wasn't sure what to feel,"

"I never hated you. Thinking back, I do realise how all of that has confused you and I'm sorry, Ino. Do you...forgive me?"

"...I do…" she said, closing her eyes, "But...things aren't the same anymore. I need to focus on healing...I have to take things slower… I have to do some physical therapy… I need to take it easy to ensure that my stitches don't come off… As much as I want there to be something between us, I don't know if either of us are ready for..._it_...yet…"

Gaara felt his heart sink. It was something he was afraid would happen. However, it did not mean that he was going to give up.

"We can take it slow…" he said, giving her a small smile.

"I think it's too...soon. Not for me, but for you. You may be single now, but just a week ago you were still with Fu-"

"I was not with her," he clarified. He did not want her getting the wrong idea. "I didn't even see her until the day I ended things with her…"

Ino raised an eyebrow. "You broke up with her?"

"Yeah… I hadn't seen or spoken to her during the time you were in a coma…"

"Were you purposely ignoring her?"

"Not really. I just wasn't in the mood to explain myself to her. I was more worried about you not waking up that I just forgot about her…"

"Seriously? Gaara, you're joking right?"

He saw how she had an almost amused look on her face, and he smiled at her while ruffling her hair.

"I'm not… She caught me leaving the hospital one day and interrogated me. I told her that I didn't want us forcing something that wasn't there,"

"Wow… I'm honestly surprised that you were the one who broke things off. What was her reaction?"

He gave her a lazy shrug. "She called me a fucking asshole…"

Ino giggled, imagining a cheery Fu suddenly becoming angry and cursing Gaara out. And by his current expression, she knew that he probably didn't care about being titled as such from her.

Gaara turned around to grab something, and Ino looked to see what he was doing. A few seconds later, he pulled out a brown-colored stuffed animal with a pink heart in the front. The words 'I love you' were printed in pink with pictures of small hearts printed all around. Ino awed at it as he placed it in front of her.

"Is this for me?"

"Yeah… I saw it and thought of you…"

Ino grabbed it, tracing her finger over the sentimental words before looking back at him. "This is so cheesy but cute! Oh Gaara, it's adorable! You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," he said, "Ino, I am serious when I said that we could take things slow…"

"But...it's not like we can go on dates...or do anything fun. I can't leave the hospital yet. And even when I do, I will still have to recover,"

"That doesn't matter to me,"

"You'll get bored waiting for me to heal,"

"I won't," he said, "As a matter of fact, I will be right here by your side as you get better. I won't let you do this alone,"

"Even if I'm wheel-chair bound? You know, you may get stuck pushing me around on that for a few days,"

"I'll just carry you around then,"

"Heh, not surprised. You were always flirty with me that way," she teased, giggling as she watched him rub the back of his neck shyly. If there was one thing she missed, it was teasing him and seeing how shy he would get.

Laying back down on the bed, Ino hugged the stuffed animal as Gaara stood up. Visiting hours were about to be over and they both knew that one of the nurses would be coming in soon to remind them.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said with a kiss to her forehead, and she nodded happily at him.

They held hands one more time before he exited the room, their hearts beating rhythmically at the anticipation of a new chapter in their lives.


	19. Dance Practice

Ino had been very skeptical regarding her new relationship with Gaara. It wasn't because she didn't love him; if anything, her feelings for him had grown. His daily visits, followed by sweet talks and kisses, made her feel extremely happy. It was something she thought about even before the incident.

Her skepticism had been mostly due to the fact that she wasn't sure if he would be patient with her while she healed. The first time she had tried getting out of bed on her own, she fell face first on the floor and gave herself a nice bump on her forehead. The nurses had scolded her for her actions, telling her that they were there to help her with anything and that she herself, a nurse, should have known better. And Ino did know better. Nonetheless, there was a part of her that wanted to test her own strength, or lack thereof. And while she laid on the cold floor for a couple of minutes, before the nurses had come in to help her get up, she knew that her healing time would be much longer than what she wanted. Would Gaara really be patient and willing to wait?

She had asked herself that question for the entire day, forgetting the big bump on her head until the red-haired man from her thoughts walked in and immediately asked what happened. And Gaara being Gaara, of course, would not drop the subject until she told him the truth.

A week after that incident, she had started her physical therapy. The first couple of days were hard, as she felt her energy decrease after each session. At the end of every session, she would silently cry for a few minutes before wiping the tears away in order for Gaara not to find out.

With her senses more alert, Ino found herself bored most of the time. During those moments, she would think about the shooting; and everytime she did, her chest compressed. Whenever her parents would visit, she would ask them about him: the man who shot her. The man who now left a large, painful imprint in her life. She knew that he was dead, that much her parents told her. But they would avoid going into further details, feeling that it was unnecessary to think about that memory again.

Considering her parents refused to give her more details, she would ask Sakura. But her best friend would insist on moving on, that the man was dead and could no longer hurt anybody. And while Ino understood where she was coming from when saying that, she still felt unsatisfied. She needed to know more, and the only person who could probably tell her more was her red-haired visitor who would be coming soon.

The time was near seven-thirty in the evening, and she waited impatiently for him to arrive. With the struggles of physical therapy and not getting the answers she wanted, Ino missed him dearly today. She wasn't sure where this new relationship would lead towards, but was looking forward to exploring it with him. Part of her couldn't wait to be discharged from the hospital and go back to the apartment, and the thought suddenly had her eyes widening.

What would the experience be sharing an apartment with the person you were dating? Sure they slept in separate rooms. But did that mean that it would be OK to, occasionally, share a bed?

Her mind raced to inappropriate conclusions and she shook her head rapidly.

_Too soon, Ino! Too soon!_

But although it was too soon to think about such a thing, she couldn't help but let her mind wander into that territory. She wondered how long of them dating would take for them to share a bedroom.

Ino groaned and she shook her head again. "Dammit Ino, too soon!"

"What's too soon?"

She flinched in her bed at the sound of his voice, turning her head and seeing Gaara standing by the door. Her heart flattered at the sight of him.

"...Uh… nothing… Just randomly thinking...about stuff."

"Are you OK?" he asked while walking in. His eyes scanned her face, as if looking to see if there was any hint that she wasn't doing well.

"I'm fine," she replied, "Just trying not to let this situation get too much into my head… Anyway, long day at work?"

She didn't want to sound like the crazy girlfriend type, demanding why he was visiting her later than usual. However, she couldn't help but be curious.

"Not really," he said, and that really got her curiosity. Should she keep asking? "I was preparing something,"

"Preparing what?"

"You'll see," he stated simply before grabbing her arm, "Can you stand?"

Ino blinked several times, looking uncomfortable. "Uh...why?"

"We're going somewhere,"

"Where?"

"You'll see,"

"...I don't think I'm allowed to go. Nurse won't let me,"

"I asked, it's fine."

"Who did you ask?"

"...Sakura,"

Of course Sakura was going to be OK with whatever Gaara had in mind. And now she was curious as to what he had in mind.

"OK...OK…" Ino said with a sigh, looking at him from the corner of her eyes, "B-But just so you know...I'm still not able to fully walk yet…"

She expected him to ask her why; to question her on why her progress was slower that anticipated. But instead, he grabbed her arm gently.

"Come, I'll help you,"

With a slight nod, she pushed the covers aside and moved her legs. Wiggling her toes as her feet touched the cold floor, Ino pressed her hands onto the mattress and stood. With shaky steps, she put on her slippers before turning towards him.

"Where are we going?"

"Not far," he said, watching as she fixed her hospital gown.

"Ok, but just now that I'm no longer a fast walker…"

He didn't say anything, instead wrapping his arm around her waist as they slowly exited her room. Despite the numerous times they stood close before, Ino felt very nervous around him. As he led her through the hallway and towards the elevator, her mind began to do what it did best: overthink.

And the nice cologne he had on wasn't helping…

Ino's mind, once again, went through the fact that she was now dating her roommate. What if they weren't compatible? That would be very awkward….and damn, did he smell nice today.

Why did he have to look and smell so good today?

The elevator took them two floors up, and Ino raised an eyebrow as he led her towards a pair of glass doors which ultimately led to the small hospital garden. Gaara opened the door for them, and watched as she slowly walked out.

"Why are we here?"

"So impatient…" he said with a slight smile, watching as she groaned in response, "Look…"

Ino turned her head and gasped, finally noticing the nicely decorated round table with two covered plates and a small candle in between.

"What is this?" she asked, pointing at the beautiful set in front of them.

"It's a table with some food on top," he said, his tone lighthearted as she rolled her eyes at him.

"I can see that. But...why?"

He helped her sit down before taking the seat next to her. "...I'm taking you on a date… Is that wrong?"

Ino shook her head as she stared at the delicious food in front of her. "N-No! I'm just very surprised… I'm not even dressed nicely! This hospital gown is hideous…"

"It's fine," he said, filling up their glasses with water, "There'll be more dates in the future as well…"

His statement made her blush, and her anticipation of seeing their relationship blossom made her look forward to her full recovery. The fact that he coordinated this date lifted her spirits.

"You are so sweet…" she said lowly, but audible enough for him to hear. "Hm, this is really good! Where did you get it from?"

"Hinata made it," Gaara simply replied.

"Ah, not surprised! Hinata is a great cook. How'd you get her to cook?"

"...She overheard Naruto and I talking about this and insisted on cooking the meals… She didn't trust Naruto to make this properly…"

Ino giggled at that, "Well, I am glad I am eating what she made and not Naruto's…"

"...Agreed,"

The two ate in silence, and the moment reminded Ino of when they would have dinner together. Considering neither of them had diet restrictions, she had brought up the idea of sharing the dinner responsibilities during the first week of them moving in. Considering both would come home generally around the same time from work, sharing the cooking and cleaning allowed them to have more time in the evening to rest. And on the days Kankuro would come over, they would leave him with the cleaning since his cooking skills were worse than Naruto's.

Ino smiled at the memories as she chewed her food. Living with Gaara had been a great experience, and she couldn't wait until she was out of the hospital and living her life the way she had been before. However, she knew that her life wouldn't be exactly the same as it had been before. It would take some time for her to feel like her old self, and it was due to him: the man who shot her.

"Gaara…"

"Hm?"

"Can you tell me what happened to him?"

"To who?"

"The man who shot me… I know he killed himself, but do you know anything more?"

"Why do you need to know more about him?" he asked, finishing his meal. "He's dead, Ino…"

"I know! But… Why me? Why did he have to target me? Sometimes, I have a hard time sleeping. I get scared that I'll go back into a coma or that he'll come into my room and shoot me again… Gaara, sometimes I feel as if I'll never be the same again…"

Although she was looking at her half-empty dish, she knew that he positioned himself closer to her. He cupped one side of her face, bringing her focus to him, as his other hand grabbed hers.

"Ino, he's not going to hurt you again. He's gone. And you're making progress… I can see it."

"It's still not good enough," she said with a shake of her head, "Gaara, there are people out there who've had worse injuries that recovered faster. I'm still lagging behind!"

"Stop comparing yourself to others," he said, "You're recovering and that's all that matters to me."

"You're so sweet," she replied, turning her head towards the nightly view of the city.

Using her chair as support, she stood up and shivered as the cool wind passed through. Gaara stood as well and positioned himself behind her. His arms wrapped around her to provide her some warmth as he pulled her back so their bodies touched. With such gentleness, he pushed her long hair to the side and nuzzled his face against her neck. Her stomach jumped as a response, and she giggled.

"...The apartment is boring without you," he said, his hot breath tickling her.

Ino bit her bottom lip as the nervousness turned into another feeling. Oh, if only they had the privacy for them to do what was on her mind…

"Is that so?" she teased, staring at the red hair from the corner of her eyes.

"Mhmm. I miss you, Yamanaka…" he said in between the kisses he was giving her to her neck.

"What do you miss most about me?"

"...Everything… Your presence...being with you… cooking with you… just… everything."

"Mhmm… But if you had to pick one, what would it be?"

Gaara sighed. Why did women have to make things more complicated? But he would answer her, and then challenge her back.

"Your presence. Having you around, as a whole, makes me happy."

"Awww," Ino said gladly, feeling the arm around her waist move up so it was situated right below her breasts.

"Tell me," he said against her ear, "What do you miss most about me?"

"Hm… I would say the times you would remove those pesky bugs out of my room! But that didn't happen often… Thank God… Oh, I know! You finding my underwear in your laundry," she replied with a giggle as Gaara groaned.

"You always forgot to check the dryer when taking your clothes out,"

"And you always forgot to check the dryer when putting your clothes in,"

Gaara lifted his head from her neck and pressed a light kiss against her temple. "I think you did it on purpose half the times…"

"Oh? And what makes you say that?"

"You would parade yourself in your panties in front of me more times than I can count… And don't forget the time I've seen you without anything on top too… I think you had an agenda on testing me..."

"Hm, Gaara I would say that those things are what you miss most about me... "

Gently, he turned her around so he could lean his forehead against hers.

"I never approached you before because we were just roommates… I didn't want to ruin that bond with you even though I wanted you so many times," he said, and Ino raised her eyebrows at his sudden confession, "Now that we are something much more than what we were before, I will continue waiting until you're healed and ready. And once you are, I will have you, Yamanaka…"

Her shocked expression didn't give her time to react to such proclamation as Gaara cupped her face and kissed her mouth fiercely. And had she been wearing undies beneath her large hospital gown, she knew that they would have been on the floor by now.

* * *

As Sakura's big day approached, Ino spent the majority of her day at the hospital calling restaurants and bakeries in regards to the catering. Even though she couldn't physically go there, she did have a phone and Gaara had brought over her laptop the week before. Between her therapy sessions, she would do research on the flower decorations and have her and Sakura's mother visit the flower shops.

While organizing the wedding decorations was fun, one thing she looked forward to was the dance. She knew that Rock Lee was coordinating the two dances, and had seen videos of the dance practices. With her body still recovering, Ino wanted to get a headstart at reciting in order to ensure that she would be up to speed with everyone else. So the night before, she had sent Rock Lee a text and asked him to start teaching her the moves. And Lee, being Lee of course, was overly ecstatic and replied back that he would be there the next day.

And with the time now showing five in the evening, Ino slowly walked around her room in order to get her legs ready for her first dance practice.

"Knock knock!"

She turned and smiled as she saw her dance partner appear, his shining bright teeth sparkling with his overly enthusiastic smile.

"Hey Lee!"

"Ino, I can see you're walking now!"

"Yes, slowly… But I am getting there. Sorry for texting you last minute yesterday, but I don't want to feel left out from the group. I want to learn these dances,"

"Do not apologize, it is no trouble at all!" the young man said as he placed his smartphone on top of a table and closed the door to her room.

"Which song should we get started with?"

"Ah, let's see. We can go in order from easiest to hardest. Sakura wants everyone dancing to Perfect Duet by Ed Sheeran. Her and Sasuke will be in the middle and everyone else will be around them dancing. We can start with that one. Here, hold my hand with your right one and put your left hand on my left shoulder,"

Ino did as instructed and Lee played the song. For the entirety of the song, they moved around the room with Lee leading. Although her steps weren't as graceful, with her legs shaking and all, Ino enjoyed the song. Aside from the dance being elegant, the song itself was perfect. The message was beautiful and it was definitely perfect for the wedding.

The song finished and Ino sat down on her bed, massaging the back of her legs.

"Was it too much?" Lee asked, switching over to the second song.

Ino shook her head with a smile, "Nah. I just like to massage my legs...makes them feel better. What's the next song?"

"Well… the next song is actually a secret."

"Oh? How so?"

"Sakura wants to do something...hm, how do I put it...sexy for Sasuke…"

Ino raised an eyebrow. "In her own wedding? Did she forget that there will be parents there?"

Lee laughed and nodded. "Yes… But she wants to spice things up. I have a video for that, so you can see."

Ino watched the video and gasped, seeing a shy Hinata sitting on Temari. "Wait, do the guys know about this? Neji, Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru?"

"Nope," Lee said, "It's a bonus song Sakura really wants to do. And because they want to keep it a secret, they are practicing with each other."

"How's Sakura going to be able to pull those moves? She's pregnant!"

"She practiced them and can pull them off without getting hurt. Besides, the whole dance doesn't require the ladies moving around too much."

"Oh, so how will it start?"

"We will have the men sit on chairs and you ladies will be standing in front of them. The song will start playing and the ladies will slowly walk towards the men and sit on them. For the first thirty seconds of the song, the dance will be on the guys as you can see here,"

Ino watched the video a second time, seeing a shy Hinata practice on a giggling Temari while Tenten practiced on an empty chair. Based on Tenten's dance moves, she could see that the dance will be very sexual.

"How the heck are we going to get Hinata to actually dance this in front of everyone?"

"Sakura said that we will give her some wine beforehand," Lee replied.

"Hm, good idea. What's after this part?"

"After this, the ladies will grab the men's arms and whisper in their ear to stand. The guys will stand but with the ladies in their arms,"

"...Is Sakura trying to put all of our parents in an uncomfortable position with this?"

Lee laughed, "The song is actually short, and only the first minute is provocative. Everything afterwards is toned down,"

"OK, I want to practice this one too. I still think it's a strange one, but whatever makes my best friend happy! Are you OK if we just do one around? If you're not OK with it, that's fine! It'll probably be awkward for you to have someone dancing on you like this…"

Lee laughed, "Oh don't worry about it, Ino! And remember, I'm your dance partner!"

"Ha, you're right! Alright, let's just do one round."

Lee started the song and Ino stood up in front of him, determined on getting this right. However, that didn't mean that she wouldn't question Sakura on her decision of having them do this. Those pregnancy hormones must've really been messing with her brain.

Ino sat astride on his lap, trying to remember the steps from memory. At the thirty second queue, she wrapped her arms around Lee's neck as he stood up, placing his hands beneath her thighs in order to support her. Ino giggled and shook her head. Even practicing this made her feel awkward. Now she understood Hinata's stiffness in the video. How were they supposed to do this in front of everyone else? Oh, she couldn't wait until she spoke to Sakura again…

"This is so strange," Ino said with a giggle, "I'm having a hard time practicing with a straight face on! How are we going to get Hinata to do this?"

Lee shrugged his shoulders, "Sakura believes that five glasses of wine should do the trick,"

"Ha, she may need more than that-"

"What's going on?"

Ino didn't have to turn her head to know who was standing behind. The tone of Gaara's question made it very clear that he was not happy, and turning her head, her eyes widened at the extremely unpleasant look he had on. And it wasn't towards her that he was giving the glare to, but to the dark-haired man currently carrying her as she had her legs loosely wrapped around his waist. It was one thing having Gaara walk in on them during one of the worst dance recitals ever, but the fact that Gaara and Lee did not tolerate one another and that the two had exchanged fists years ago didn't make things any better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so the wedding dance thing was inspired by a friend's recent wedding. In her invitation, she mentioned that the ceremony would be adults only... and I could see why it was haha. It wasn't overly provocative (and hey, they were married!), but it's something you wouldn't want young children seeing...


	20. Back Home

"I can stop by tomorrow and we can finish the dance practice!"

Ino simply nodded as she sat on the bed and slowly got under the covers, avoiding the piercing look Gaara was giving the two of them. She felt the back of her neck become warm, her palms turning sweaty, as she wondered what Gaara was thinking at the moment.

Lee grabbed his items and exited the room, neither he or Gaara bothering to give each other a glance. Ino watched as the tension in the room increased the moment Lee passed by him, and she hoped that neither of them would get into some type of fist match.

With her dance partner now gone, the room became quiet once again. Wanting to break the awkward tension, Ino wondered what to say first. And by analyzing his stern yet stoic look, she knew that she had to choose her next words carefully.

"Hey! So… How was work?"

He didn't respond to her, not right away at least. Teal green eyes analyzed her face as he stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest while leaning against the wall.

"...Fine,"

Ino exhaled, not realizing that she had been holding her breath in anticipation. Nonetheless, his response didn't mean that he was happy; his facial expression and tone gave that hint pretty clear to her.

"Do you want to sit down?"

His response was sitting down on the chair next to her bed, yet his gaze stayed elsewhere as he kept his arms crossed in front of his chest. He didn't have to say anything; Ino knew that he was angry. She could see the tenseness in his body.

"OK OK… I know you're mad! You and Lee don't like each other but it's not what it looked like! We were just practicing for Sakura's wedding. He is my dance partner…"

Ino watched him carefully, noticing how his eyes narrowed a bit at the part of Lee being her dance partner. She remembered that Gaara was someone who wasn't always great with telling people how he felt. Heck, she remembered how he couldn't even form his words when she told him about her feelings for him almost a month ago.

Sighing, Ino touched his arm, giving him a tug so he would turn his head towards her.

"Look, I'm sorry you had to see that, OK? Yes, it looked very inappropriate, but I swear nothing happened. Lee was just teaching me the dances for Sakura's wedding and one of them is...provocative. Her wedding is in almost two months and you know that I've been behind with...well...everything! I'm supposed to be her maid of honor and instead of actively helping her, I'm re-learning how to walk without falling down! And-"

"...Ino,"

She stopped her blabbering as Gaara grabbed her hand.

"...It's fine… I didn't want to let my anger get the best of me… But seeing you on top of him, like that...made me want to lose control,"

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Why don't you stay with me next time there's practice? Would that make you feel better?"

"Possibly," he replied, and she smiled.

"Good! Hey, maybe you can learn some dance moves as well!"

The corner of his lips twitched, "I don't dance…"

"Not even for me?"

He watched as she pouted her lips and sighed. "...I'll dance only for you…"

Her lips curled into a smile as she layed back down on the bed. "Good! I think-"

Her words were interrupted as his phone vibrated. Ino watched as he looked at the screen before quickly disconnecting the call and putting his phone away. The look on his face gave her the notion that he wasn't fond of who just decided to contact him.

"Who was it?"

"My father," he said in a monotone voice.

"You can pick it up, if you want. I'm sure it's important."

"It's nothing. He just wants to invite me over for dinner,"

"Oh! That sounds nice. I can't remember the time either of my parents invited me for dinner. If you need to leave now for dinner, that's fine,"

Gaara shook his head. "No, it's fine. I rather stay here,"

By the tone of his voice, Ino knew that Gaara's decision was more than just wanting to stay the evening with her. She was aware of the rumors told to her about Gaara and his father not having a close relationship. At that time, she didn't have enough courage to ask him why. But now that they were dating, it was something she could start poking into.

"Gaara, is everything OK with your father?"

He raised a light eyebrow at her, as if confused about her question. However, deep down she knew that he knew what she was referring to.

"I mean, are you and your dad on speaking terms? I ask because...well...you barely mention him. I know Temari talks about him…"

"...I never had a good relationship with my father. And after my mother died, things got worse between us,"

Ino watched as he closed his eyes. There was a silence for some time, and she originally wondered if he was going to say anything at all. Maybe his fallout with his father was that bad that he didn't want to talk about it-

"My mother was an alcoholic. The constant fighting and emotional distress led her to start drinking. As a kid, I never paid attention to her drinking because she was good at hiding it. She always smiled at me, acted happy around me. One night, they were arguing… I couldn't sleep and went over to their room. My dad got angrier, said some things… And my mom went for a drive with me in the middle of the night to get away. I was too busy staring at our neighborhood to realize that she had been drinking behind the wheel. By the time I did, it was too late…"

There was a brief silence, and Ino shifted on her bed as her heart pounded nervously. She didn't need Gaara telling her what happened next; she could tell by the tone of his voice. Even though this happened over ten years ago, it felt as if it was just yesterday. His gaze was on the floor, and she gently placed her hand on his.

"I don't remember much after that. I knew the car had crashed. I remembered waking up at the hospital, and my father was there talking to the doctor. Aside from a broken arm and concussion, I was mostly fine. My father didn't tell me that my mother had died until a week later… And that's when his abuse started…"

Ino stood up from the bed and walked over to him. Bending down, she cupped his face and gently lifted it, his glassy teal eyes looking back at her.

"She is the reason why I got this tattoo," Gaara said, "My mother had the same tattoo. I wanted to continue remembering her..."

His statement brought her back to the day she had insulted it, and her face suddenly became teary as well. He studied her reaction as well, and before she opened her mouth, Gaara grabbed her waist and pulled her onto her lap.

"Gaara, I am so sorry! I am so sorry for the things I said to you! I am so sorry!"

Ino wrapped her arms around his neck as he returned her hug, rubbing her back as he buried his face on the crook of her neck.

"It's OK, you didn't know. I'm sorry for grabbing you that day…" He kissed her neck as he continued, "My father grabbed my mother the same way whenever he would get angry...and I don't want to become that same type of man, especially for you,"

She kissed his forehead before pulling her head back and staring into his eyes, giving him a warm smile. "It's OK, Gaara. The fact that you are aware of your own actions already separates you from the type of man that your father is."

Gaara kissed her lips softly, whispering between pecks. "You are an amazing woman," he said, "Every day I regret not acting sooner and being with you. The day you were attacked, I was looking for you..."

Ino nodded, remembering his text and waiting for him. That day that would forever be engraved in her memory.

"...That day, I wanted to tell you that, aside from apologizing, I...also felt the same way about you… that I've had feelings for you for months now and how much of an idiot I was for not telling you how I truly felt that day...and I'm still an idiot even if you're mine now. I almost permanently lost you."

It was her turn to kiss him, and Gaara kissed her back passionately. They may not have had the most romantic beginning - everything had been filled with jealousy and miscommunication. But they were willing to give it their all as their heart rates rhythmed synchronously, allowing the love for each other to take over.

They didn't know for how long their make out session lasted, but knew that visiting hours were over soon as they sensed the presence of the head nurse by the doorway.

"I swear, these two can never get enough of each other," the woman grunted with a shake of her head.

* * *

**Three weeks later…**

Today was the day she was coming back to the apartment. Although she had been discharged two weeks ago, she had stayed with her mother during that time; and even though Gaara missed her presence terribly, he understood why she wanted to stay there first. Considering she was still healing, she needed some at-home care and her mother was mostly home to provide. Nonetheless, today was the day Ino decided to return to the apartment after over a month of absence. To say Gaara was excited about it was an understatement. The red-haired man had been so thrilled with the news that he had reached out to Naruto, Kankuro, Shikamaru, and Neji for some help with ensuring that the apartment was up to standards.

All five males, including Kiba, who didn't want to be left out, arrived early to the apartment, ready to take on some physical labor.

"Alright, so how should we do this?" Kiba asked.

"I take the living room!" Kankuro yelled, "It's the easiest to clean,"

"Neji, Kiba, and I can share the kitchen." Shikamaru said.

"Oi, what do I do then?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head confusingly.

"You can clean the bathroom," Gaara said. "I'll go buy some groceries and restock the fridge. Thank you, all."

"Tch, no worries! Now go! Ino should be coming here in two hours,"

Gaara nodded as Shikamaru closed the door behind him. The lazy genius then turned around and sighed at everyone else.

"Alright, now that lover boy is gone, let's get to work."

The males separated to the different areas of the apartment, each putting on rubber gloves. Naruto, in the meantime, walked over towards the bathroom and frowned. Although he had seen the cleaning products before whenever he would go shopping with Hinata, he never bothered asking what they did...or how to use them.

There was a blue bottle with the word Clorox in front, followed by a picture of a white shiny toilet. Grabbing the bottle, he opened it up and poured it down the toilet bowl.

"Hm, how much of this am I supposed to add? Oi, Shikamaru, what do I do after this?"

The brown-haired man stepped inside the bathroom and frowned upon seeing the large amount of blue liquid inside the toilet bowl.

"Naruto, did you just pour the whole thing inside?"

"Yeah! Isn't that what we're supposed to do?"

Shikamaru gave him a 'you're kidding me, right' look. "Naruto, please tell me you know what the heck you're supposed to be doing…"

"Hah, he probably doesn't!" yelled Kiba from the kitchen.

"Naruto, how the hell did you grow up not knowing how to clean a toilet?" Kankuro asked with a vacuum in hand.

"Hinata has spoiled him…" Neji replied as he cleaned the top of the stove.

The blond man pouted, "...But she says that she prefers me not to clean at all…"

"I can see why…" muttered Shikamaru, "Alright, Naruto. This is what you're going to do. Grab that toilet wand and scrub the toilet. Thanks to you, I'm pretty sure that any bacteria that was in there is probably all dead… Just scrub the toilet and when you're done, call me so I can tell you what to do next."

The blond man nodded and began working as Shikamaru went back to the kitchen. As soon as he was finished with the toilet, his friend had him clean the bathroom sink and shower, followed by the floor.

"Gaara owes me a large bowl of ramen for this," he said as he cleaned the mirror.

The men cleaned for another forty minutes as the red-haired man arrived at the apartment with several items in hand.

Gaara's head lifted sharply as the sudden smell hit his nostrils. "What...is that smell?"

"Naruto poured the whole bottle Clorox down the toilet," Shikamaru replied.

"...Why does that not surprise me," Gaara muttered as he placed the food inside the fridge.

Aside from the strong bleach smell coming from the bathroom, the apartment was spotless. Although it had not been filthy initially, Gaara wanted to make sure that Ino would be coming back to something that was up to her standards. He remembered how every weekend, she would dedicate one hour to ensure that their apartment was spotless. And as a thank you to his friends, Gaara took the men out for ramen. He paid for their meals and left quickly, wanting to get home before Ino's arrival.

"Well, he's sure in a hurry," Kiba said, "But at least he paid for food!"

"Well considering today is the first day Ino's coming back to their place, who can blame him." Shikamaru said.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure he's really excited for her arrival. He tried hiding it but I saw that box of condoms in his hand!" Naruto said before turning to Kankuro, "Oi, you should tell your brother that he's not as discreet as he thinks he is!"

"Leave him be, he's in love for the first time," Kankuro replied, feeling like a proud older brother.

* * *

Ino stared at the building as her father parked the car in front. Her blue eyes stared at the floor which located her apartment, excited to finally be going to her room.

"Aw, look who's waiting for you!" her father said, giving her a wink that caused her to roll her eyes.

"Dad, we're all adults here. Calm down…"

The man laughed as he exited the car and opened the trunk, pulling out her duffel bag. In the meantime, she exited the car and felt her face flush as Gaara walked over to her. He glanced at her father from the corner of his eyes as Inoichi stared back at him, and Ino couldn't help but laugh.

"Alrighty then… Thanks for dropping me off, dad! I'll give you a call tonight!"

"I can take this," Gaara said, grabbing the duffel bag and placing it over his shoulder.

Her father said his goodbyes while reentering his vehicle and driving away.

Grabbing her hand with his free one, Gaara led her inside the building. He watched her as she took slow steps towards the second floor. He could see her excitement as they stood in front of the apartment door. Unlocking it, he opened it and allowed her to enter first. She walked towards the kitchen and took a deep breath, only to stop suddenly and turn around towards him.

"What is that smell?"

"Clorox…"

"Why does our apartment smell like Clorox?"

"...Naruto cleaned the bathroom…"

"Well, that's something I never expected. But at least I'm finally here! Now come here and kiss me!"

Chuckling at her, Gaara cupped her face and gave her a long kiss. Their brief kiss turned into a makeout session, but not like any of the onea from before. With his hands on her hips, Ino placed hers on his abdomen before trailing them up his body. She could recall the number of times she had thought about touching him, especially after he would come back from the gym. Feeling bold, her hand traveled downwards...more down than she had realized as Gaara's hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, stopping her action.

"...As much I want you right now, I don't think we're ready yet…" he said, although everything in his mind at the moment consisted of dragging her towards his room and letting their raw instinct take over.

"You're right…" she whispered in trembling breaths, thinking about the unattractive scar on her chest from the injury and multiple surgeries. She didn't want Gaara seeing any of that.

She would wear a bedsheet around if she had to until the day her large scar went away.


	21. Family Dinner

Waking up to her own bed was something she had been looking forward to for weeks. No more waking up to a white hospital room, or to the sound of her mom's loud living room TV.

Despite its messiness, Ino missed her room tremendously. It had all of her medical books from college, the souvenirs she collected when visiting different places with her friends, her outfits, and it was across his room.

After having dinner, they had resumed their makeout session until they both noticed that it was near midnight and he had to sleep. It was a Sunday night, after all. Before departing though, the awkward silence had longed for some time. Sharing a bed was something both of them wanted, but each understood that it was not the time yet.

Nonetheless, that didn't stop Ino from booking an appointment in order to acquire some birth control.

Looking around her room, Ino decided that today would be a cleaning day. The first thing she did was her large pile of laundry that had been sitting in her bedroom corner for over a month. As her clothes washed, she opened her closet and decided to reorganize the whole thing. While her mini skirts and shorts still fit her, her crop tops and off-the-shoulder blouses were pushed towards the back. Her thin-strapped dresses were also pushed towards that direction. As much as she loved her clothes, she knew that some of them would have to be worn after the multiple scars on her chest went away.

Taking her t-shirt off, Ino analyzed her scar. The scar, about three-inches wide, started near her sternum and finished a couple of inches above her belly button. While applying makeup could hide the majority of the scarring, she hated the idea of having to spend time each day on hiding something that was not her fault. In addition, the scar was even worse between her breasts. It was deeper, representing the exact spot where that man had shot her.

Lifting her finger, Ino lightly touched the area and groaned. The pain that had exploded throughout her body was something that would sometimes creep into her mind, and she hated it. Thinking about it made her feel helpless, considering that this man was able to seek her out in a park and attack her.

The sound of her phone ringing interrupted her thoughts. Picking it up, a small smile crept to her face as she saw her boyfriend's name on the screen.

_ "Don't make any plans for dinner tonight. We'll be going out." _

_"Oh, where are we going?" _Ino texted back, curious to know what was on Gaara's mind.

_ "My dad's place. Temari is hosting dinner there. Kankuro and his girlfriend will be there." _

Did that mean his father would be there too? And that things were going to be OK between him and Gaara? Even though he did not mention that his father would be there, she knew that there would be a high chance that he would. Especially considering since it was his house they were having dinner at. Would there be tension between them?

_Most likely…_ Ino thought to herself. But that was something she wouldn't bring up to him.

_ "Sounds great! By when should I be ready?" _

_ "No later than 6:15… Kankuro will pick us up at 6:30… It'll take about 40 minutes to get there." _

_"Cool! How's work going?"_

_ "Boring. I wish I could leave right now." _

_ "...And do what?" _

_ "...Be with you…" _

_ "Mhmm…. And be with me how?" _

_ "...Is this a test?" _

Ino laughed at his response before texting back. _"Mmm…. Maybe…"_

_ "...Am I passing?" _

_ "You'll know tonight," _

_ "We'll be at my father's tonight…" _

"I'm sure your old room is still there… with a bed…"

Biting her finger nervously, a wicked smirk coming across her face as she saw the three dots that let her know that he was typing something back. The three dots disappeared, but reappeared after a couple of seconds.

_ "Are you trying to seduce me while I'm at work?" _

_ "...Is it working?" _

_ "How about I give it to you tonight if you want it so badly." _

Ino swore that her heart almost leaped out of her chest as she read his words repeatedly, feeling that sexual tingly sensation run through her body.

_ "Oh, then I better make sure to wear my lacy panties tonight.." _

"Make sure they're red."

Their sensual text messaging went back and forth for some time until it was time for him to resume his work and her back to re-organizing her closet. After preparing and eating a quick lunch, she continued her chores before sitting down and rereading her medical books. If she continued to progress in the rate she was currently doing, she would be able to go back to work in approximately two months, right after Sakura's wedding. She had asked Dr. Tsunade to allow her back sooner, but the stern woman refused, telling her to instead take a vacation and enjoy life. The hospital would be right there once she was ready to come back.

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly, and once time reached five in the evening, Ino began to prepare for the night's dinner. She knew that Gaara would be home soon, and wanted to be prepared once he was. After her quick shower, she put on a simple spaghetti-strap light blue dress that reached just above her knees and covered her chest, thus showing no cleavage. While showing cleavage wasn't an issue for her, showing the scars was what she was afraid of. And luckily for her, she owned one outfit that made sure to conceal them.

"You look beautiful,"

"Gaara! You scared me. I didn't hear you coming in,"

A light smile ghosted his features. "I know you didn't… I wanted to see what you were up to,"

She rolled her eyes at him, "Creep… Anyway, are you going to get ready?"

"Yeah, I'll be done in twenty…" he said, turning around and heading towards the bathroom.

As he got ready, Ino decided to let her hair down. Thanks to its length, she could use the long strands to cover the areas in her arms where she had multiple IVs hooked up to her. Although those didn't leave much scarring, anyone with a good eye could see the minor blemishes left behind.

"Kankuro is downstairs," Gaara said, reappearing by her door. He wore a black long-sleeve button down shirt with jeans and black shoes.

"Yeah, just need to put my flats on,"

Gaara analyzed her movements as she grabbed a pair of matching blue flats and put them on. Although her movements had improved compared to a month ago, he still noticed the slight trembles at each movement she made. He knew that Ino didn't want him babying her over her recovery, she was very strong-minded and wanted to get through the healing on her own. Nonetheless, that didn't stop him from grabbing her hand once she was ready.

They exited the apartment hand in hand, Gaara watching her steps as they went down the stairs.

"Ino, it's nice to see you!"

A familiar voice caught their attention, and Ino smiled back at the receptionist sitting behind the desk of the leasing office.

"Hi Carol, nice to see you as well."

"How are you feeling? I heard what happened and I'm extremely sorry! Please let us know how we can accommodate you!"

Ino placed a strand of her hair behind her ear nervously while giving the woman a smile.

"I'm feeling OK… I'm getting there… Back to my normal self… and Gaara's been helping me a lot,"

The woman's smile widened, remembering how many months ago the two had signed a lease as roommates. But seeing as how the red-haired young man held the blonde beauty in a protective manner, she could see that they have become more than just that.

"Well, that is good to hear! I see you both look like you're about to head out, so let me not hold you both up. Oh, I just remembered! A package arrived for you some time ago… can't remember when but I would say over a month ago."

"Oh, do you remember who's it from?"

The woman shook her head. "Unfortunately, I don't. But it's in our office for when you're ready to pick it up."

Ino nodded, "Thanks. I'll get it when we return. Thanks, Carol."

The woman nodded as the couple exited the apartment building.

A honk came from a dark vehicle as Gaara led her to it. He opened the back door and helped her get inside.

"Blondie!" came Kankuro's loud voice, and Ino smiled at him.

"Hey there. Oh, is this...the girlfriend?" she teased, watching as the brunette sitting on the passenger side blushed.

"Ha ha ha, y-yes. My name's Yukata, it's nice to finally meet you, Ino."

"Likewise," Ino said as she shook the young woman's hand.

Gaara entered the vehicle and closed the door, placing his arm behind Ino's seat. Putting the vehicle to drive, Kankuro took a quick glance at his brother from the rearview mirror before taking a glance at Ino. She glanced at him as well and gave him a concerned look, and both knew what it was about.

It had been a long while since Gaara had seen his father, and they knew that there would be some tension.

The drive took an hour due to traffic. During the whole drive, Kankuro and Yukata teased each other back and forth before his free hand rested on her lap. From the back of the vehicle, Gaara and Ino sat quietly, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

Kankuro parked the vehicle in front of a red-bricked home. There was a smaller, white vehicle parked in front as well, and Ino quickly recognized it as Shikamaru's.

"We're here!" Kankuro announced, turning off the engine.

The four of them exited the vehicle and walked towards the house in a single file, Gaara being last. Kankuro knocked a couple of times, the door opening a few seconds later and a smiling Temari appearing.

"My brothers and their women are finally here!"

"And we're hungry!" Kankuro said as they all walked inside.

Ino felt her stomach growl as the smell of freshly-cooked food hit her nostrils. The home was spacious, and Ino's curious eyes quickly landed on a couple of photo frames hanging on the wall.

An older woman with brown hair appeared, wearing a black apron and a spatula in her hand.

"Yukata, Kankuro! Nice to see you two again!"

"Hey there, Sara," Kankuro said with a friendly smile.

The woman smiled before meeting Gaara's gaze on her. For a moment, her smile dropped before nervously coming back up. Rasa had warned her about his youngest son.

"H-Hi there…. I'm Sara! You-You must be Gaara!"

There was an awkward silence, and Ino glanced between the shy woman and Gaara.

"Hah, he sure is!" Ino said with a nervous giggle, and the woman turned her glance towards her.

"Ah, and you must be his girlfriend! Temari did tell me that Gaara was dating a pretty lady. And my, what a beautiful young woman you are! My name is Sara,"

"Nice to meet you, my name's Ino,"

"Hmmm… Ino… I feel like...I've seen that name somewhere… You wouldn't happen to be some actress? Or maybe a model?"

Ino blushed at the compliments. "Oh! Haha… Thank you! I'm actually a nurse…"

The woman's eyes suddenly widened as if she realized something. But before she could reply, Temari appeared.

"Dinner's ready!"

Sara walked towards the kitchen to help Temari bring the food out as Gaara, Ino, Kankuro, and Yukata walked towards the dining room. Upon entering the room, Ino's eyes landed on the two males currently sitting by the table: Shikamaru and an older man, the latter being Gaara's father.

"Ah, I'm glad you all made it," said the older man.

He placed a hand on Kankuro's shoulder before greeting Yukata. His eyes quickly landed on her and Gaara, and Ino gulped as she felt the awkwardness in the atmosphere grow thicker.

"Gaara," the man said, extending his arm out towards his youngest son, "Glad you decided to come,"

Gaara stared at the hand for a while before extending his own hand out and shaking it. Ino watched awkwardly as Gaara didn't say anything, her eyes traveling back to Rasa as the man looked at her.

"And you must be Ino,"

"Yup! It's nice to meet you, sir!" Ino said, noticing how the man's smile resembled that of Gaara's.

"It's great to meet the young lady who stole my son's heart. Come, have a seat. Food should be served very soon."

The four of them sat on the table across from Shikamaru, who was yawning and staring at his watch.

"Already tired?" Ino teased.

"Nah, I had a large cup of coffee before this. I'm just hungry. How are you feeling?"

She shrugged a shoulder, "I'm fine… Gaara's been helping me a lot,"

Shikamaru smiled as his eyes quickly glanced at the red-haired man currently talking to Kankuro. He remembered how over a month ago, he had been on the phone with her while she cried about the fact that Gaara and Fu were together. The fact that Gaara was Temari's brother was the sole reason why he had not punched the red-head that time for being oblivious. Nonetheless, he was happy seeing him and Ino together now. He remembered how Gaara had visited the hospital every single day while Ino had been in a coma.

Shikamaru's thoughts were interrupted as Temari and Sara came out with dinner. The older woman placed the large tray of lasagna and freshly-made bread sticks in the middle while Temari pulled out three bottles of wine.

"Here, I can help serve," Rasa said as he cut the large lasagne into perfect rectangles.

Ino watched with anticipation as the man placed a plate in front of her. She felt her stomach growl lowly as the smell was closer to her now. Swiftly, she grabbed a piece of the cheese and placed it in her mouth, savoring the garlic and Italian seasonings.

"Here's a garden salad as well," Sara said as she brought in a large glass bowl.

"Wow, all of this looks delicious," Ino whispered lowly before looking at Gaara, who still had a neutral look on his face. She noticed how he barely acknowledged Sara, and considering how things have been left off between him and his father, she didn't blame him for practically ignoring the woman.

Once the food and drinks were all brought out, Sara and Temari sat down.

"I would like to say something before we begin," Sara said nervously, her eyes meeting everyone's, "I just want to say thank you for taking time and coming here for dinner. It's great seeing all of you here and with your lovely partners. You all look beautiful and healthy, and I am glad to be sitting with you all here as a family."

Kankuro, Shikamaru, Rasa, and Yukata gave low claps as Sara smiled and thanked them all. Ino gave the woman a gentle smile before looking at Gaara, noticing how he leaned back on the chair with his eyes closed and arms crossed in front of his chest. Becoming worried about how he was feeling, she placed her hand on his thigh, grabbing his attention.

"Are you OK?" she whispered, and Gaara nodded slowly.

"Alright, time to dig in!" Kankuro yelled before looking at Yukata, "Let's see which one of us finishes first,"

"Oh, last one to finish has to pay for movies next time," the brunette said.

Ino watched as the two of them dug into their plates. Despite Yukata's thin physic, the girl was already half way done with her plate and beating Kankuro.

"Hope they don't get an upset stomach," Sara said, watching as the young couple rushed through their meals.

"It's fine, we have several bathrooms if that happens," Temari added, shaking her head as she watched her brother and his girlfriend almost finish their meals. She was happy that her brother finally found someone who ate just like him…

Sara laughed at her comment, "Well, that is good. It's great to see a young couple be compatible… It brings natural joy into the relationship. I wish the women I help at the shelter could have that. Unfortunately, they all come from abusive relationships, so they've never felt true love and compassion."

"You run a shelter for women?" Ino asked curiously, quickly thinking about the countless women who have come into the hospital with bruises. Bruises left by their male partners.

"My best friend owns the building, but I work there and help her. While it breaks my heart seeing countless women, especially ones with children, coming in every week, I still enjoy my job and enjoy helping them get through it,"

"...Mom would have benefited from that…"

All eyes turned to Gaara momentarily as an awkward silence ensued. Ino's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched him sip what looked like his second full glass of wine. It suddenly dawned to her that Gaara was drinking.

"Yes, she would have…" Rasa added in, and the environment turned more awkward as Ino and Shikamaru made eye contact, unsure what to do but eat silently.

Ino took a quick glance at Sara and noticed how the woman stared at her lap, her lips pressing tightly as if thinking of what to say. Even though she understood Gaara's issue and why he made the comment, she still felt bad for Sara.

"The shelter has recently expanded, and has started helping victims of gun violence… There are studies out there that over fifty percent of these victims suffer some sort of PTSD. Our gun laws are weak, and even nurses are being gunned down. I remember watching the news about that nurse who was shot during some event near a hospital, and then the shooter ended up killing himself. It's...crazy…"

The fork slipped out of her hand as Ino quickly remembered that day. Those who knew about it, which excluded Sara and Rasa, glanced at her silently, which made Ino feel more uncomfortable.

"Yes, I remember reading about it in the paper," Rasa added shortly after, "The man was on a hunt - he wanted to kill as many hospital staff members as possible. According to the police, he had a list of people he specifically wanted to target. I know the head doctor at the hospital was number one on his list."

Ino bit her bottom lip as she felt pressure on her chest. She wasn't sure why, but it was suddenly becoming hard to breath.

_I need to get out of here…_

"Um...s-sorry… wh-where's the restroom?" Ino wasn't sure why she had stuttered like that, but she knew that she had to remain as calm as possible.

"There's a door right behind you. Open it and down the hall, to your right, is the bathroom," Temari said, giving her a concerned look as Ino nodded and quickly exited the dining room.

_Remember to breath…. Breath Ino… breath…_

But she couldn't, and once she made a sharp right and closed the bathroom door behind her, warm tears began to roll down her face. Sitting on the floor, Ino clutched her chest while bringing her knees up to her face and sobbing. It had never occurred to her that her shooting made front headlines in the news, and now she was anxious and scared to read the news articles from the incident. Grabbing her phone, Ino sent a hasty text to Sakura.

_ "He had a list! Sakura, he had a LIST!" _

Sakura's reply came back a couple of seconds later, and Ino read it through wet teary eyes, glad to know that Sakura knew who she was referring to.

_ "Yeah, he did. Police found it in his pocket." _

_ "Tsunade was first on his list! But he didn't get to her… Was it because he saw me? Was I on the list? Who else was on that list?" _

_ "Yeah, you were. So was Shizune… and me…" _

Ino's eyes widened, her trembling hand pushing her bangs to the side. Sakura was on the list of people he wanted to kill? But why? She wasn't involved at all, and Ino suddenly felt sick at the thought of Sakura getting shot. Sakura, who is pregnant…

"Hey Ino, you OK in there?"

The blonde flitched on the floor, stumbling over her own dress as she tried to get up from the floor.

"I-I'm fine, Temari,"

Ino opened the door a couple of inches, meeting Temari's concerned face.

"You don't look fine. You practically ran out of there. Ino, I know that what Sara said triggered something… Her and dad don't know that you were that nurse who was shot…"

"I know," Ino said, "I know that… It's just that… I can't… I-I…S-Sorry"

Tears began to roll down again and Temari gave her a hug. "Hey, I know you've been through a lot. And it's OK if you felt uncomfortable. I should've stopped Sara and changed the conversation. Gaara's worried about you… He wanted to come here but we didn't want dad getting the wrong idea with both of you alone in a bathroom…"

Ino giggled while wiping her tears.

"Do you want me to save your food for later? If you don't feel well, you can eat it later…"

Ino nodded, "I would like that… Thanks Temari."

Her friend nodded before exiting. "It'll be in the fridge… Just have Gaara heat it up for you later and- oh, speaking of Gaara, here he comes!"

Ino nodded again, trying her best to wipe her tears away before Gaara could see them. But she knew that there was no point - he would see her red, puffy eyes and figure it out right away.

Temari said something to her brother and left, leaving the two of them alone in the small cramped bathroom.

Before Ino could say anything to him, his arms were around her in an instant.

"We can go home," he said, supporting the back of her head with his hand as she looked up at him.

"It'll look...weird…If we just leave"

"I don't care," he said, softly pressing his forehead against hers, "We can leave if you want… Or we can go upstairs if you need more time."

"What's upstairs?"

"My old room,"

She nodded while fixing her dress. He grabbed her hand and quietly led her out of the bathroom, using a separate door in order to go upstairs.

Memories flooded his mind as he remembered the times he and Kankuro would slide down the steps as children, and how his older brother broke his lip on the last step. He also remembered the slap his father gave his mother right in front of him on the same steps.

Reaching the second floor, Gaara opened the first door towards the right, taking in the room he grew up in. Everything was pretty much the same - a computer desk in one corner, a large closet in the other. A large dresser between two beds.

"You and Kankuro shared a room?" Ino asked as she stood in the middle of his old bedroom.

"Yeah," he replied, looking around as well.

"Which one's your bed?"

He pointed towards the left, and Ino sat on it, slightly bouncing on the mattress.

"Why don't you come sit next to me…"

Her words quickly reminded him of their texts from earlier today, and he quickly locked the door before walking over to her. Ino wasn't sure what would happen next, but part of her didn't care. After all, they were adults.

The bed wasn't large, considering it was made for one person, but that didn't stop them from attempting to lie down next to each other.

"I think I'm going to fall," Ino said with giggle, an idea coming to her mind. She would blame it on the wine later. "Why don't you….get on top of me?"

Gaara's thin eyebrows lifted before he accepted her offer, lying on top of her. Almost eagerly (a bit too eagerly, one might add), she pulled the skirt of her dress upward as she spread her legs wider, allowing him to settle comfortably between them. As he gently moved on top of her, his face settled on the crook of her neck, and Ino let out a small moan as he trailed kisses from her shoulders to the side of her face.

Their judgement and self control became cloudy as his lips met hers in a fiery kiss, causing her to wrap her nearly bare legs around his waist as her arms went around his neck. Despite being clothed, the slight movements he made on top of her had her hands wandering underneath his shirt, shaking as she felt his right hand grab her thigh before slowly making its way upward, touching the side of her panties. Ino's mind quickly went towards wanting to take his clothes off, and her hands followed command as they traveled down towards his jeans, her thin fingers undoing the front button before reaching towards the zipper.

"You mean this room? OK-WHOA!"

Ino screeched and covered her face with her hands as Gaara groaned against her shoulder.

"Kankuro, the room's taken!" Yukata added again, turning her back towards the room while trying to hide her giggle.

"What do you mean the room's taken? Who's in there?"

"Your brother…"

Kankuro stood by the door and groaned. "Seriously, Gaara? We wanted to be in here!"

"Learn how to knock next time," Gaara said with a low growl, quickly buttoning his pants as the blonde underneath him pulled down the skirt to her dress, thanking that at least it was Kankuro and Yukata and not Rasa…

"Learn to keep it in your pants during the next family gathering!"

Gaara rolled his eyes as he finally climbed off Ino, glaring at his older brother before shutting the door in his face. Turning around, he looked at the blonde beauty sitting on his old bed as she used her fingers to fix her hair. His gaze went to her lips again and he cursed Kankuro and his girlfriend for interrupting.

"I thought you had locked the door," Ino said, straightening the top of her dress.

"I did… but I forgot that the lock doesn't work…"

"W-Well… I guess we should go downstairs. I don't want your dad thinking that we're up here...trying to...you know...do stuff… underneath his own roof…"

Gaara sighed disappointedly before grabbing her hand. "You're right. Come on, let's go back downstairs."

Walking hand in hand, they exited the bedroom and navigated towards the living room, both of them passing by an old picture of a smiling Karura. Taking a quick glance at it, Gaara noticed the shiny ring on his mother's finger before looking at Ino's hand, mentally measuring the size of her ring finger.

_Too soon…._ He thought, but not without a slight smile, _But one day for sure…_


	22. Decision Made

After returning downstairs, they sat around the living room as Shikamaru, Kankuro, and Yukata started playing video games. Ino and Gaara sat together in one area of the room, watching as the brunette female beat the two males in multiple rounds of Mario Kart.

"Wow, she's good," Ino said, and Gaara nodded silently. She stirred a little bit in her seat, "Um, which way is the kitchen? I'm thirsty,"

"I'll get you some water," he said as he stood up. Ino relaxed in her seat and watched him as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Heard you two got caught in the middle of something…"

Shikamaru's teasing caught her attention, and Ino glared at him before glaring at Kankuro and Yukata.

"We were just napping," Ino exclaimed, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking away.

"Mhmm, yeah sure Ino… Napping…"

While Ino continued to be mercilessly teased, Gaara entered the kitchen and grabbed a cup of water. He knew that the older woman was staring at him, as if wanting to say something, but he wanted nothing from her. He didn't hate her, but there was nothing for him to say to her.

"Um...Gaara?"

Her timid voice stopped him from exiting the kitchen, and Gaara simply turned his head towards her. Sara gulped as she met those unfriendly teal eyes.

"What is it?" Gaara asked, causing the woman to flinch and almost drop the clean plate.

"I...um...i-is it OK if I speak with you...privately?"

Sara watched as his gaze didn't soften at all; if anything, he seemed more annoyed at the idea. But to her surprise, he didn't reject it. His head turned towards the living room.

"Fine. Let me give this to her first," he said, and Sara watched him as he gave Ino the glass of water before walking back towards her.

Sara gave him a small smile as he stood a couple of feet away from her, hands buried in his pockets as he leaned against the door frame. She fixed her apron while trying to formulate her thoughts, trying to not let his cold gaze spook her.

"...Um...I...I just wanted to say thank you for coming over tonight. I know that things aren't perfect between you and your father...b-but I just want you to know that h-he loves you a lot… and misses you."

"He can tell me that himself,"

Sara nodded, expecting that reaction from him. "I know. H-He's been calling for weeks...trying to get a hold of you…"

"I've been busy," Gaara added, glancing at his girlfriend who was currently resting her head on the arm of the loveseat, her eyes halfway closed.

Sara glanced at Ino's direction before looking back at him. "She's a beautiful young lady. She looks tired though,"

Gaara gave a slight nod. "We need to get going,"

"Wait! B-Before you leave...I also wanted to say that...that I am not here to replace your mother. I am aware of the type of relationship your mother and-"

"Karura,"

"Wh-What?"

"My mother...she has a name… and it's Karura. And you do not need to finish your sentence. You are aware of how my father treated my mother - how his mental and physical abuse lead her to becoming an alcoholic."

Sara fidgeted as she chose her next words carefully, "He's changed, Gaara. Your father has changed...he's aware of what type of man he was years ago and regrets it."

"That changes nothing," he replied, exiting the area and sitting next to Ino.

Her eyes were almost closed, and he knew that it was getting late. Ino from five months ago would have stayed awake right now, possibly having a beer. But the accident had changed her health drastically.

"Ino," he said gently, placing a hand on her arm, "Let's go,"

She opened her eyes and glanced at him, "Mmm, OK… Don't you want to stay a little longer?"

He shook his head while standing up, grabbing her hand and helping her up.

"Leaving so soon?" Temari asked, and Gaara nodded.

The couple said their goodbyes as a cab pulled over to the front of the house. Rasa had insisted on dropping them off, but Gaara refused.

They reached their apartment building in thirty minutes and picked up the package from the leasing office before going up the stairs. The box didn't weigh much, and Ino gave it a slight shake.

"Hm, sounds like sand in there…" she said, sitting on the livingroom floor as Gaara went into his room to change.

Using his pocket knife, she removed the heavy tape that surrounded it. Based on the wrinkles and dust surrounding it, Ino guessed that the box must have been packaged months ago. The shipping label only had a P.O Box on it, which didn't help her guess who had sent her this stuff.

Once the tape was removed, she opened the box and raised an eyebrow at the brown vase-like object inside. Taking it out gently, she turned it around until she found a small knob underneath. Grabbing it, she turned the knob and immediately flinched as ashy-like particles fell out, immediately dirtying her dress and the floor underneath. A small white piece of paper fell out onto her lap, and Ino opened it.

_I am not sure when you will get this… But I pray to God that when you do, you have paid for your sin! Murderer! You are a murderer! And I hope you burn in hell for taking my daughter away from me!_

With wide eyes, Ino touched the ashes with two fingers before screaming in realization.

* * *

The police arrived within fifteen minutes, and the lead detective in the case shortly afterwards. They took the box and vase, placing them in a large white container before allowing forensics to collect as much of the ashes as possible.

The detective, whose name was Anko, asked several questions; and all of them were answered by Gaara.

"His daughter was not cremated," Anko said, "So these ashes must be someone or something else. We will have the forensics team run a test to see. In the meantime, we have a crew coming in soon to help clean this up. Do you have any other questions for me?"

Ino raised her head and stared at the woman, "Is he dead? Is he truly dead?"

The detective nodded. "He is, Ino. Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head."

"Th-Then… h-how d-did he… know…"

"My guess is that he sent this to you shortly before the accident...maybe even the day of. We will need to talk to reach out to the post office that processed this."

Ino nodded, and a soft knock was heard. Two men walked in with cleaning supplies, and Anko directed them over towards the living room.

Gaara grabbed Ino's arm and helped her up from the floor. The men vacuumed the entire area as Anko glanced towards the blonde again.

"Sorry about this, but we will need the dress as well. Since we're not sure where these ashes are coming from, we'll need every bit of evidence."

"That's fine," Ino said, "Let me change…"

As soon as she walked inside her room and closed the door, Ino removed the dress with such force that she felt one of the buttons pop off. Not wanting to drop the ash-ridden dress on her floor, she opened her bedroom door just enough to call Gaara over.

"Here, give it to them,"

He grabbed the rumpled dress and gave it one of the crew members, who then placed it in a plastic bag.

Dressed in black tights and white t-shirt, Ino exited her room as the men finished cleaning up the ashes.

"Here, take my card." Anko said while giving it to her, "Call me if you find anything else. I'll be in touch once I find out more."

"Thanks,"

The group exited the apartment, leaving the couple standing in the middle of the living room quietly. Gaara locked the apartment door before glancing at her.

"I'm going to take a shower…" Ino said in a rushed tone, walking over to the restroom. Despite changing her clothes, she could still feel the ashy particles by her legs and things.

Locking the door behind her, she discarded her clothes and quickly turned on the faucet. Cool water sprung out and splattered on the shower floor, and Ino waited a couple of seconds until it became warmer. Once it was to the temperature of her liking, she rushed inside and rubbed her thighs, watching as minor black water streaks rolled down. Grabbing her soap, she scrubbed her arms and legs as the tears began to swell up near her eyes.

_When will this ever end?_

* * *

From his room, Gaara watched her as she dragged her feet back into her room in nothing but a towel. Despite her bedroom door remaining open, she hid from view for a while before reappearing, wearing a black t-shirt with gray panties underneath. His eyes trailed down her long legs and by the time they went back to her face, Ino was giving him a stern look. And all he could do was raise an eyebrow at her.

"Done staring?"

"..No…" he said, the corner of his lips tilting upwards as he approached her. His hands cupped her cheeks as he leaned his forehead against hers, "How are you feeling?"

"To be honest… I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. So much going on in my mind and the nightmares I sometimes get aren't helping,"

"...Sleep with me… In my room…"

Ino raised her eyebrows as he closed his eyes, and she couldn't help but giggle at his choice of words.

"Hm, and you won't try anything?"

"...I won't. We'll just sleep,"

He led her towards his bedroom, his hand ghosting around her lower back. Ino stared at his bed before looking at him as he laid down on the right side of the bed. Shrugging her shoulders, she laid down next to him, pulling the covers up to her chest as she stared at the ceiling. The mattress underneath them shifted as he moved closer to her, touching her arm gently.

"Relax, Ino. I'm here,"

"What if he's still alive? Has some evil twin brother or something… a-and-"

"He doesn't… And he's dead. I...saw his body that day,"

There was no response to that, and Gaara continued to look at her as her half-opened eyes continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Our lease ends in two months, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. If you want to move out, you will need to provide your notice by end of this week,"

Ino nodded as she turned towards him, their faces inches apart. This was the conversation she thought about while in the hospital. Now that they are dating, what then?

"What do you prefer?"

Despite the room being dark, she watched as he placed his hand on her cheek.

"I prefer to be with you...live with you…"

"...Even if that means moving somewhere else?" she asked.

"...Yes,"

"W-Wouldn't it be too soon? What if we fight a lot?"

Gaara grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I can't promise you that we won't have our moments… But I am certain about my love for you… and I am willing to try things out… even if it's rushed."

Ino gave him a peck, "Even if it means moving to a one bedroom apartment?"

She giggled as Gaara raised both eyebrows before smirking, knowing what type of thoughts went through his mind. "If that's what you prefer, then I am OK with getting a one-bedroom apartment,"

"We'll save more money as well. And if we ever fight, you'll just sleep on the couch,"

Gaara frowned as Ino laughed, feeling him grab her arm and turn her around so he could spoon her from behind. His arm draped over her waist as he buried his face by the back of her neck.

"We'll see about that," came his response as sleep eventually overtook them.


	23. Before the wedding part 1

The ashes mostly likely belonged to a group of different animals. Although no bones were found to help perform a DNA analysis, one crematory location had reached out to police about the man. Days before he had gone shooting people by the hospital, he had dropped off his dead pets at a crematory. This bit of information was almost enough to allow Detective Anko conclude that the ashes sent to Ino weren't human.

She watched as the blonde sitting across her desk didn't seem convinced.

"...How can I make sure that he hasn't sent me anything else?"

"I checked the post offices that are in a fifty-mile radius from your home, and nothing has come up. My guess is that he sent you that to scare you,"

"Well, he's scared me more times than I wanted. Even though he's dead, I've become paranoid… I'm afraid of opening my own mail now… What if he sends me someone's teeth or something? And why me? He's treating me as if I was the one responsible for the plane crashing in the first place. Sometimes, I wish I had never went to work that day,"

"I know that this may feel like a never-ending nightmare," Anko said, "And I am no therapist, but you need to live your life to the fullest. I know that all of this will forever be ingrained in you, but you can't let it get to you."

Ino nodded at the advice while hoping that this would truly be the last time she would have to think about that man.

"You're right… It won't be easy, but I am ready to move on and put all of this behind me."

"Good," Anko said, "And if anything else shows up, don't hesitate to call us."

"Thank you, detective."

Grabbing her purse, Ino exited the police station. The feeling of relief swept through her body as she felt the end to this nightmare finally came. For the last week, she left the responsibility of checking the mail to Gaara. Sometimes, her mind would go to extreme ends, making her scared of her or Gaara opening an envelope and some finger falling out.

"No, stop it," Ino thought to herself, shaking her head, "I need to move on… He's dead… This is over…"

Taking a deep breath, she began making her way back home.

* * *

**One Month Later**

Ino's feet hurt, and she felt tired. Despite her recovery being on track, her body would sometimes feel more tired than usual. She took a seat next to Sakura as Sakura's mom and the lady in charge of the store continued to chat.

"Well, your dresses are here!" the overly enthusiastic store owner said, "how about we have everyone try them out with their heels?"

"Great idea," Sakura's mom replied, "How about we try with Sakura first? That way we make sure that her dress won't be too tight for her growing belly,"

The store owner nodded as she grabbed the piece of clothing from the rack. She walked behind the bride-to-be as Sakura entered one of the stalls.

Ino, Tenten, Temari, and Hinata waited outside while their friend changed.

"Can't believe that in one month, Sakura will be an Uchiha…" Ino said in disbelief, a tiny corner of her mind wondering how her name would sound like if her and Gaara married.

_Wait! Too soon… too soon!_

"Hm, makes me wonder who's next to get married," Temari said.

"Probably Hinata," Tenten teased, and the shy young woman simply smiled back at all of them, "Neji did tell me that his uncle wants to make sure that the family tree continues,"

Ino narrowed her teasing blue eyes towards the brunette, "If that's the case, wouldn't you also be at risk of being next? Mrs. Tenten Hyuuga?"

Tenten stilled for a moment, causing Ino and Temari to giggle. Tenten, who was probably the most courageous of them all, still had anxiety when it came to the topic of marriage and becoming a wife. Ino was never sure why her friend felt that way, but she figured that it probably had to do with the fact that Tenten was raised by men - a father and two male cousins. It wasn't until college that the brunette completely ditched her tomboy-ish looks and suddenly got the attention of a couple of males, including Neji Hyuuga.

"Alright, she's ready!" the store owner said, opening the door wide as Sakura stepped out.

"Wow, you look amazing!" Ino exclaimed, and her best friend returned the compliment with a smile.

"Thanks! And it's not even too tight or long."

"Are the shoes comfortable enough?"

"Yup!"

After a couple of twirls and "making sures" (mostly by her mother), Sakura went back to the dressing room to change as the store owner brought over the remaining dresses.

"And these are for the bridesmaids! Who's next?"

"Tenten should be next," Temari said teasingly, "Since she could be next walking down the aisle,"

The brunette groaned as she grabbed her dress and entered the stall Sakura had just exited. Almost five minutes later, she walked out of the stall wearing her dress and the high-heeled shoes.

"Wow, you look good!" Sakura exclaimed, and the other ladies nodded in agreement.

If there was one thing Ino admired about Tenten, it was the fact that her friend was dedicated to keeping herself healthy. She had lean muscles, toned stomach and ass. Ino thought about the hideous scar on her chest and wondered if her body will ever look as good as Tenten's.

"Surprised she didn't fall in those heels," Temari added and Sakura giggled, "But she looked great in that dress. I wonder if Neji will finally put a ringer on her finger,"

"With that dress on, he'll have to!" Sakura replied.

As Tenten exited the stall, it was Hinata's turn, followed by Temari's.

Now that it was her turn, Ino grabbed her dress and shoes and walked inside the stall. She took off her clothes and carefully put on the dress, making sure not to accidentally rip it. The piece was not cheap at all, and she did not want to pay for any damages.

As soon as she was finished putting on the piece of clothing, she glanced at herself in the mirror and frowned.

The dress was low cut from the front, and while it was beautiful, her eyes couldn't stop staring at the hideous scar on her chest.

_No… This is too low… too low…_

Ino took a deep breath as she grabbed the front of her dress and lifted it up slightly, wondering if sewing the front piece would help.

But as she imagined the front v-shaped piece being sewn, she knew that that would make the dress look unpleasant. And besides, what excuse would she give the tailor for her to adjust the dress? The dress fit her nicely, and hugged her curses graciously. If anything, the tailor would have to see her in the dress in order to see how many inches to sew.

Two soft knocks startled her as Sakura's mom spoke from the other side, "Ino, sweetie, everything OK in there?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" Ino mentally cursed as her voice broke, her eyes looking back at the scarring.

She thought about the limited options she had, and wondered if today was the day to tell Sakura that she couldn't be one of her bridesmaids.

But Ino quickly rejected that idea. Her best friend was pregnant, and had also been that man's target.

_But I can't...do this… I feel… ugly…_

"Hey Ino, are you done? Let us see your dress!" came Sakura's voice, and Ino covered her face with her hands.

"Sakura, I'm sorry… I think I may need another dress,"

"Why? It doesn't fit you?"

"No, it does. It's just that...it doesn't look good on me…"

"Huh? Let me see. Open the door."

"No, it's fine. I'll try on another-"

"Ino-pig, open the door and let me see!"

"Dammit Forehead, I said no-what are you doing?!"

Ino shrieked as she watched her friend poke her head in from underneath the stall's door.

"Sakura, get off the floor-"

"Open this door, Pig!"

Rolling her eyes, Ino opened the door and watched as Sakura stood up from the floor. Stepping inside the small changing room, Sakura raised an eyebrow as Ino had her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Ino, let me see it,"

Looking away, the blonde unfolded her arms and waited for her friend to say something.

"You know you could've told me…" Sakura said gently, "I won't make you wear something that makes you uncomfortable,"

"I know, but I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Ino, you've been helping out with this wedding since the moment you woke up! How would I be disappointed, considering everything you've been through?"

Ino stared sadly at the floor underneath them. "...I...I didn't want to disappoint…"

Sakura shook her head and hugged her friend. "Ino, you're like my sister. If anything, I'm disappointed in myself for not asking if you wanted to do this after waking up. You were so eager about the wedding that I thought it was OK. But that was my mistake,"

"Don't feel bad about it. I do want to be part of it! It's just that...this dress-"

"What are you two chatting about in here without us?" Tenten asked with Hinata and Temari standing by her side.

Sakura gave a reassuring nod to her friend, who nodded in return, before inviting the three ladies into the already packed changing area.

"Is everything OK, Ino?" Hinata asked.

Sakura closed the door of the stall as Ino showed them the dress.

"...As you can imagine… I still have the scars from all of those surgeries… and… well… this dress doesn't really cover them…"

"I-Ino, you can have my dress," Hinata offered, "We're about the same size and my dress provides more coverage around the chest area."

"Hinata, no I can't do that. You looked so beautiful in it, and this one shows more cleavage than yours. I'm not sure if you'll be comfortable wearing this one,"

"D-Don't worry about me," Hinata said with a warm smile, "Showing some cleavage won't bother me. How about we try on each other's dresses to make sure it fits?"

Ino nodded at the idea, trying her best to not cry as Hinata went to grab her dress. Tenten, Temari, and Sakura exited the stall as Ino removed her dress and handed it over to Hinata as her friend gave hers in return. Almost impatiently, she put on the dress and looked at herself in the mirror. It was the same length as the one originally meant for her, and style as well. The only difference was the chest area. The silky fabric covered more of her chest area. And while it still showed some cleavage, the dress did a good job at concealing the scars.

Opening the stall, Ino stepped out and showed her friends.

"Looks fantastic on you!" Hinata said, and Ino glanced at how well her original dress fit her.

"Thanks, and you look great too!"

"I say we all wear our dresses and take some pictures."

Five minutes later, Sakura, Tenten, and Temari stepped out with their dresses.

"Mom, get the camera ready!" Sakura said as she stood in the middle, Temari and Hinata on her left and Tenten and Ino on her right.

"Here are some flowers you each can hold!" the store owner said, bringing out a couple of fake flowers.

"Oh, how lovely. Smile, ladies!"

The five of them smiled as Sakura's mother took several pictures of them, each one with different poses.

"We should have one where we throw the flowers up," Tenten suggested, and Sakura's mother nodded at the idea.

"I will count and at three, you ladies throw your flowers up. OK, one...two...three!"

The ladies threw the flowers a couple of feet into the air, giggling as only Tenten and Temari caught theirs back.

As they laughed and posed for more pictures (because Sakura's mother was suddenly feeling overwhelmed with joy at the fact that her only child was going to be married in one month), Ino felt a natural sense of joy. Her cheeks hurt from the laughter as Temari taught Hinata how to do a sexy pose (hips to the side, boobs up), but she didn't mind. She was genuinely happy, and that's all that mattered.


	24. Before the wedding part 2

**30 days later - one day before the wedding**

Ino knew that Gaara could be a very jealous man, even if he didn't admit it. Despite him acknowledging that Lee was her dance partner, Ino always found it amusing that her red-haired boyfriend would sit in the living room and watch as the two of them practiced. As if waiting for any ill-intentioned move by Lee. Lee would come over three times a week for rehearsals, and an hour later after he would leave, she would be pinned on the couch with Gaara on top of her, kissing her with such force that she would have to pinch him to get his attention. And although he would give her an irritated look, she couldn't help but enjoy his little jealous tendencies.

But now that she was getting ready to celebrate Sakura's bachelorette party, she was not enjoying Gaara's looks. She could feel him staring at her from the living room as she put on her lipstick. Damn, he was ruining her concentration.

"Is there a reason why you keep staring at me like that?"

"...Is there a reason why your skirt has to be that short?"

Ino gave a shrug as she placed her lipstick back inside. "I gotta look good, you know? This is my best friend's bachelorette party, not some funeral."

She sensed him walking towards her, and Ino pretended not to notice as she used the curling iron to curl the ends of her hair.

"...Does it have to be...so short?" he asked, placing his hand on the front of her thigh before giving it a squeeze.

"It's not that short," she slapped his hand away before turning around to face him, "You've seen me wear this skirt before and now you have a problem with it?"

He closed his eyes for a moment as he replied, "...We...weren't together like this...before,"

"Why Gaara, are you jealous that some other man may take interest in my legs?"

He shot her a glare and Ino couldn't help but laugh. It was easy to trigger him when he was jealous.

Gaara pulled her towards him, squeezing her against his body as she tried to calm her laughter. And then, his lips were on her neck. Not giving her simple kisses, but nibbling hard. She was glad that he wasn't kissing her lips; last thing she wanted was her lipstick smeared all over their lips. She raised her leg as pleasure swept through her body, her hands digging into the back of his head as a soft moan escaped her lips. It felt amazing the way he held her, his hands dangerously roaming underneath her skirt. And Ino was ready to take things forward until she felt his teeth bite her neck hard, causing her to scream in pain.

He pulled away as she brought her hand to her neck, her fingers feeling the sensitive spot. The bastard had given her a hickey.

"Dammit Gaara! This is noticeable!"

"That was the plan," he said indifferently.

The sound of her phone ringing stopped her from arguing further, and looking at the screen she jumped in excitement.

"The girls are here! Alright, I'll see you in a couple of hours,"

Gaara watched as she grabbed her small purse and exited the apartment. She wasn't telling him where Sakura's bachelorette would be held, and part of that irked him. Considering the outfit she was wearing (mini skirt with a tube-top that at least covered her cleavage), he knew that she was going to get looks and whistles. The moment he took notice of her outfit, his first instinct had been to lock the apartment door and stop her from leaving. But he knew that such an act would be selfish. This is the first time Ino would be going out since getting shot. And considering the pain she had to deal with, she deserved to have fun.

Sighing, Gaara walked into his room to get himself ready for Sasuke's bachelor party.

* * *

They stood in front of the smoke-free night club that had live shows and food, a location Temari thought to be perfect considering Sakura's pregnancy. Tenten had reserved a VIP table for them, making their stay even more comfortable.

The ladies watched as the rest of the nightclub goers danced as the hostess led them towards their reserved booth.

"Here you go! Here are the menus," the hostess said as she placed them on the table, "Waters will be brought momentarily,"

Sakura, who wore a white dress with a white and pink ribbon that said "bride and mother to-be", sat at the head of the table.

"Soon enough, I won't be able to join you all," she said in reference to going to nightclubs and partying until 2 am.

"It's OK, I am sure Ino will party and drink twice as hard on your behalf," Tenten said with a wink, and the blonde woman giggled.

"You sure bet!"

The waitress came back with their waters and some light appetizers. Hinata ordered a simple glass of wine, while Temari, Tenten, and Ino ordered multiple cocktails. Sakura asked the waitress for a glass of juice, wanting something sweet but not alcoholic. The waitress, seeing her growing belly, nodded and confirmed that she would be able to accommodate her request.

Ten minutes later, the drinks arrived and the girls continued to chat as the music changed and the performers came out.

* * *

_In the meantime…_

Naruto groaned as he swung his fishing rod towards the lake, telling himself that before the night was over, he would catch a fish and rub it in Sasuke's face. Something pulled him slightly forward, and Naruto began to reel it in.

"I think I got something!"

Kiba shot him an incredulous, "It's probably another log…"

"Shut it," Naruto replied, walking closer to the lake and pulling the object out. His smile disappeared as Kiba laughed.

"I knew it, another log!"

"Damn it… Well, I'm sure you haven't caught any either!"

"Actually, I got one! It's in the cooler over there!"

The blonde man groaned again before facing the groom-to-be. "Oi, Sasuke!"

The dark-haired man, who was standing with Gaara, Neji and Shikamaru, turned to him.

"Are we just going to be fishing here all night long?!"

Sasuke simply blinked at him before taking his focus back to the lake, "Yes,"

Naruto rolled his eyes before pulling his phone out. Of course Sasuke would want to spend the night before his wedding fishing.

_"I'm bored,"_ he texted Hinata, _"What are you and the girls doing?"_

* * *

The male performers all had eight-packs. They wore nothing but tight bottom briefs, and their sensual performance had nearly all of the females drooling.

Hinata simply blinked, feeling uncomfortable yet not wanting her eyes to veer away from such sight. Oh, and what a sight they were…

"They look...yummy,"

"Mhmmm…"

Mumbled Ino and Tenten, their drinks forgotten.

"Well, lucky us, I was able to get them to sit with us for a few minutes," Temari said with a triumphed smile, causing Sakura, Tenten, and Ino to stare at her as if she had just brought them gold, "...Aaaaand here they come!"

The ladies watched as three of the male performers climbed up the stairs and made their way towards them.

Hinata grabbed her phone upon feeling its vibration, smiling as she saw Naruto's name on the home screen.

"Hello," one of them said, "How are you fine ladies doing tonight?"

"Oh, we're good. We're celebrating Sakura's bachelorette party." Temari responded.

The men looked at the pink-haired woman, "A beautiful bride and mother to be. Hope you are enjoying your time at our club, Sakura."

"Oh, I sure am! Your dance was amazing!"

"Why, thank you- Oh, why hello there. What is your name?"

Ino blinked as she retracted her finger, Tenten giggling beside her as the blonde woman was just caught poking the man's hard bicep. She just needed to verify that they were real.

"Oh! Uh… Um… Ino. My name's Ino,"

"Nice to meet you, Ino. And how are you enjoying your time?"

The man stood a little too close to her, and while he was handsome with gorgeous brown eyes, Ino felt a bit guilty drooling over this man's muscles while Gaara was out there, fishing with the guys.

"Um, yeah! I am!"

"Well, that's good to know. How 'bout I get you another drink?"

Ino was about to say no, that one drink was enough (she was more lightweight than usual) but the man signaled one of the waitresses for another drink. A drink just for her. And to make matters more awkward, the man placed an arm around her waist as he got into conversation with one of his friends. Ino's blue eyes widened as she stared at Tenten, who mouthed "He's flirting with you". Oh, the man certainly was. She looked at everyone else and quickly met Temari's eyes, who gave her a slight smirk.

_Not helping at all, Temari…_

* * *

Naruto scratched the side of his head as he read Hinata's single-worded reply, which simply said "Fun". Hinata was not a single-worded person, and part of him suddenly became worried.

"Oi, Shikamaru… Where was it that you said the girls went?"

"Some place called...um...Paradise West."

"Isn't that the place that have half naked men dancing around on Friday nights?" Kiba asked.

There was a long silence as the men simply looked at Kiba, who stepped back as five pairs of eyes stared back at him.

"...What do they have on Friday nights?" Gaara asked, and Kiba was surprised at the fact that it was Gaara who asked. The guy had barely said a word upon arriving at the lake.

"Um… well… my sister would go there… But from what she told me, that place had some dudes who would go around dancing with nothing but briefs. B-But this was like a year ago! I'm sure they don't do that now!"

Another silence before Shikamaru interjected, "I'm texting Temari right now…"

* * *

Ino was on her third drink, and her mind was almost on cloud nine. Almost. There was one person missing - Gaara. Her redheaded boyfriend who she was missing more than ever. Oh how she wished he was here with her, standing behind her so she could grind on him. It wasn't fair that Fu had been able to do that months ago.

Suddenly feeling angry and moving away from the annoying male entertainer, Ino pulled her phone out and drunkenly texted Gaara.

_"You didn't dance with me!"_

Ino glared at her screen, watching as his response came back seconds later.

_ "What?" _

Clearly the bastard didn't remember.

_ "You danced with Fu." _

After sending him that text, Ino placed her phone in her purse before looking at her nearly drunk brunette friend.

"Tenten,"

"Hn? Y-Yeah?"

"Let's dance,"

Not allowing her to respond, Ino grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the dance floor as the music changed.

Temari, Sakura, and Hinata simply watched with amusement as the male performers blinked in confusion, not sure what just happened.

"Oh, looks like Shikamaru just texted me… And he's asking us what we're doing…"

"Naruto texted me not too long ago as well,"

"Why are the guys interested in what we're doing? It's our night…" Sakura said.

"Beats me," Temari shrugged, "But I know what to send them,"

Opening her camera app, she aimed at her two dancing friends and took a picture. That should get the boys guessing what they were doing….

* * *

Gaara blinked at Ino's response, feeling confused and guilty. Confused because of its randomness, guilty because he knew what she was referring to. The night he first met Fu, and how he danced with her and not Ino.

"...What the…"

Gaara looked towards Shikamaru as the man scratched the side of his head confusingly.

"Well, at least they're dancing together and not with any men…" came Neji's response, which had Gaara walking over to them curiously.

Shikamaru didn't say a word as he simply pointed his phone towards his direction, showing Gaara the picture Temari had just sent him.

It was of Tenten and Ino dancing, the latter standing behind as Tenten looked like she was trying to hold her balance on her two-inch heels.

And although the picture looked strange, Gaara had to agree with Neji: at least it wasn't with any male…

* * *

**Two hours later…**

Considering they all had to wake up at 7 in the morning for hair and makeup, it was safe to say that it was time to head home. Hinata, who was the designated driver, dropped Sakura off first. Afterwards, she dropped Tenten and Temari at their designated homes before dropping off Ino, who was the most drunk of them all.

The shy young woman smiled as Gaara helped her blonde friend exit the SUV.

"Bye Hinata! I'll see ya tomorrow!"

"Bye Ino! Have a good night's sleep!"

Ino, who was always perfect at walking in her heels, couldn't handle them at the moment. She removed them and grabbed them by their straps, wobbling her way towards the entrance of the building as Gaara stood behind her, watching as she could barely walk up the steps.

Sighing, he bent over and grabbed her legs, hoisting her over his right shoulder as she started to giggle.

"I am going to poke your butt!"

"Unless you want both of us to fall and get injured, I suggest you don't do that,"

Opening their apartment door and locking once inside, Gaara proceeded towards her room.

Throwing her heels by the corner, a 'weee' escaped her mouth as Gaara lightly threw her on the bed, his eyes briefly catching a glimpse of her white panties. Maybe she wouldn't notice if he threw the skirt out…

_No, she would notice…_

Gaara shifted his gaze back to her face as she pulled his hand, nudging him downwards. Ever since returning from the hospital, they shared the bed when going to sleep - regardless of whether it was his or hers. At first it was due to her anxiety and mind thinking that the man who shot her was still alive. But then, it turned into a nightly thing that neither of them wanted to end. And even though they kept it safe, telling each other that it wasn't time yet for that next step, little strokes here and there in personal areas had started.

"Did you enjoy your time?" Gaara asked as he spooned her, and Ino nodded.

"Yes, it felt nice hanging out with the girls like this. Did you catch any fish?"

"A few, but I threw them back in the lake,"

Ino giggled, "Then what's the point of fishing?"

Gaara shrugged, "Sasuke's idea. And I don't eat fish,"

"Hm, true…"

"...Did any guy...approach you?"

"Oh yeah, one even put his arm around me…"

Ino smirked as she felt Gaara hug her tighter, "Did you dance with any of them?"

"Nah, just with Tenten. You're not jealous of Tenten now, are you?"

The corner of his lips rose, "No, I am not. And regarding your text, you do know that my feelings for you are much stronger than what I felt for Fu. I had liked Fu…. But I...am, and have been, in love with you, Ino. And I don't want to lose you. So if that means dancing at a club with you, then I'll do it,"

Ino turned around and watched as his eyes scanned her face, waiting for her to say something. "I know you love me… and if it makes you feel better, the guy who was hitting on me made me feel uncomfortable… and I kept thinking about you the entire time. He wanted to dance and all, but I danced with Tenten so he would leave me alone… and he did,"

"Good. I don't want to hear or see you dancing with anyone else...but me…"

"Gaara, you do know that Lee is my dance partner tomorrow, and-"

"Damn,"

Ino laughed as the red-haired man placed his hand over his face. Clearly he had forgotten that her and Lee would be dancing three songs together as part of the wedding performance. Shifting herself, Ino laid her head on his chest as he released a sigh.

"...I almost forgot about that. But after those three songs, you and I will...dance…"

"You know you don't have to dance,"

"It'll make you happy...and I also want to experience it with you,"

Ino smiled and closed her eyes, knowing that she would have to get a good sleep if she wanted to be energetic tomorrow. Tomorrow was her best friend's wedding and she couldn't wait. But more importantly, she couldn't wait to share the dance floor with Gaara, both of them would be dressed nicely for the occasion. Now that was something she couldn't wait to experience.


	25. The Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the following songs:
> 
> Love on top by Beyonce
> 
> Harley's in Hawaii by Katy Perry
> 
> Perfect Duet by Ed Sheeran

And just like any wedding, things started out chaotic. Tenten's heel broke (which required Neji and Hanabi to make an emergency trip to the mall), Hinata woke up with a stomach ache, Temari's hair wouldn't stop being frizzy, Ino's dress ripped a little from the inside (thank God her mother knew how to sew that thing back together), and Sakura had become so emotional over the fact that soon she would be Mrs Sakura Uchiha that she started crying as the makeup artist started applying the eyeliner.

Yup, everything was going well…

"Dammit Forehead, stop crying in there!" Ino yelled while knocking on the door. Her makeup was halfway done, yet her long blonde hair was still a mess, "We need to be ready in one hour! Open up, woman!"

The doorknob rattled a bit before Sakura unlocked it. Ino walked inside and grabbed her friend by her elbow, helping the emotional woman up.

"Hormones acting up?"

Sakura nodded as Hinata brought some tissues over to her.

"I-I always thought about this moment for years...and now that it's happening...I just...c-can't…"

"Oh, here she goes again," Ino rolled her eyes, "Do you want something to eat? There's some donuts over there."

Sakura nodded and Ino went over towards the small table, grabbing a whole donut and feeding her friend. Despite her friend acting dramatic at the moment, Ino couldn't really blame her. Even she was feeling ecstatic.

"Feeling better?"

Sakura nodded, her mouth full.

"Good, now go get your makeup finished. Photographer will be here soon!"

With a nod, Sakura went back to her chair as the makeup artist redid her makeup. Tiredly, Ino sat on her chair as the hair stylist finished Hinata's hair and moved on to hers.

"We got another pair of heels for Tenten!" exclaimed Hanabi as she walked inside the room.

With everything being in control now, the ladies resumed getting ready. The photographer arrived with three of his assistants; and immediately, they took pictures. The first couple of pictures consisted of the ladies dressed in white silky robes holding their flowers. The photographer ensured to get different angles, having them pose around various areas of the house.

Thirty minutes later, they changed to their dresses and posed for more pictures. Izumi, Itachi's fiancee, entered.

"You all look so beautiful! The priest will be arriving in another hour,"

"Is Sasuke still in the hotel? We don't want him seeing Sakura just yet," Sakura's mother asked the younger woman.

Izumi nodded. "Yes. Itachi is with him,"

The ladies exited the room and walked towards the living room, meeting the groomsmen as they all sat down and, unsurprisingly, were playing video games. But who could blame them? It wasn't as if they had to get their makeup and hair done.

"Itachi needs better games," mumbled Naruto.

"Get up, picture time," Shikamaru said, taking the controller away from him.

The photographer moved several objects around before gathering the men.

"Alright, the first couple of pictures I will take are with the groomsmen only. Young man, your tie is crooked. Can someone help him with his tie?"

"I got it," Lee said.

Seconds later and Naruto's tie adjusted, the photographer took several pictures of the men.

"Alright, now let's take several with the bride in the middle,"

Sakura stood in front of the men as the photographer took several pictures.

"OK, next picture. Groomsmen on the right, and bridesmaids on the left. Bride stays in the center. Ladies, don't forget your flowers."

They positioned themselves on either side of Sakura; Temari, Hinata, Ino, and Tenten on the left and Neji, Lee, Naruto, and Shikamaru on the right. More photos were taken before the photographer instructed them to change again.

"OK, now the bride and her bridesmaids only!"

They pivoted again as the photographer and his assistants continued taking pictures, Sakura still in the center.

"OK, now the bride and her family,"

After another hour of picture taking, the priest arrived and was led towards the beautifully decorated backyard. Multiple chairs were situated on either side as the majority of the guests were already present. The center aisle was draped with a white-colored fabric, matching the white chairs and other decoration pieces.

"Sasuke will be here in ten minutes," Izumi said, "Let's get you upstairs so he doesn't see you,"

Sakura nodded and climbed up the stairs with the older woman and her mother by her sides. Minutes later, Sasuke entered, prompting the photographer to take more pictures.

One picture with his groomsmen, another one with the bridesmaids, and the last one with Naruto making bunny ears behind his head (Naruto's idea, of course).

"Priest is ready!" Hanabi called, and everyone got into position.

A soft melody began to play as Sasuke, with his mother next to him, walked down the aisle.

Hinata and Naruto were lined up first, followed by Shikamaru and Temari, Tenten and Neji, and finally Lee and Ino.

At the queue, the partners began to walk down one at a time.

* * *

Hands in the pockets of his slacks, Gaara stood with the rest of the wedding guests as Sasuke walked down, arms locked with his mother's. The groom stood by the platform, next to the priest, as the first pair then walked down. Hinata had a gracious smile while Naruto smirked, and Gaara couldn't help but shake his head. He was familiar with Naruto's expressions, and knew that the blonde man had something up his sleeve.

After them were Shikamaru and Temari. His sister looked gracious in her dress, and he felt proud seeing her, a happy smile displaying on her face. Ever since their talk two months ago, he began confiding her in everything. And as always, she listened.

After them were Neji and Tenten. And finally, Lee and Ino.

And Gaara felt the beat of his heart quicken upon seeing the blonde beauty. She had woken up way earlier than him for hair and makeup, and part of him was disappointed for not getting the chance to kiss her in the morning. Nonetheless, he understood her obligations. Hair, makeup, and dress made her look like a goddess, his goddess. Her light red lips were curved in a smile as she looked straight ahead, and he wished he could get a glance from her.

Upon reaching the front, Ino stood next to Tenten as the song changed, readying for the bride to appear. As guests turned and watched as the doors opened and Sakura began walking down with her father, Gaara's focus remained on the beautiful young woman he was proud to call his girlfriend. And finally, her sea blue eyes focused on him, and her beautiful red smile widened. Gaara smiled at her in return, as he couldn't wait to wrap his arms around her and kiss her.

"Your brother looks like he wants to devour her," Yukata whispered to Kankuro, who had noticed his brother's facial expression upon seeing Ino.

"Yeah, at least he's not drooling,"

"...I can hear you two…" said the red-haired man with a sigh.

The song finished as Sakura now stood next to Sasuke, and guests sat back down.

"Friends, we have been invited here today to share with Sasuke and Sakura a very important moment in their lives. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife. Now, it is time for the vows,"

"Sasuke, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do,"

"Sakura, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do,"

"Repeat after me," the priest said to Sasuke, telling him the phrase to repeat.

"I, Sasuke, take you Sakura, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part,"

"Now repeat after me," the priest instructed Sakura.

"I, Sakura, take you Sasuke, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

"May the ring bearer step forward," the priest said.

A young boy, no more than five years old, stepped forward. His small hands carried a white pillow, in the center a ring. His dark eyes looked curiously towards the crowd as his parents, Obito and Rin, nodded at him with a smile.

The priest instructed Sasuke to grab the ring and repeat his words. The dark-haired man nodded before turning his attention to the pink-haired beauty in front of him.

"I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love,"

Gently, Sasuke placed the ring on her finger, giving her a smile upon noticing the blush on her cheeks.

The priest turned to Sakura and instructed the same.

"I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love," she said, placing the wedding band on his finger.

"Please join hands," the priest said, and the couple did as told, "By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of this state, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,"

Stepping closer, Sasuke kissed her lips gently as the crowd around them clapped. Music began to play as rose petals were thrown around. Holding her hand, Sasuke led an almost teary-eyed Sakura down the aisle. The bridesmaids and groomsmen walked behind them, and Gaara's eyes remained on Ino as she ensured that her best friend wouldn't trip over her own dress.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sakura's father said, "Please join us at the City Lights venue in three hours for the reception,"

Gaara knew that Ino would be busy with getting ready for the reception, but part of him wanted to enter the house and see her again. Not just see her, but touch her and tell her how beautiful she looked. How seeing her like this made him think about how she would look in a wedding dress, wearing the same wedding ring as his mother's.

"Gaara, let's go," Kankuro called as the crowd scattered around.

With a sigh, the red-head nodded before following his brother and Yukata to the car, thinking about how he couldn't wait for the next three hours to pass by so he could see her again.

* * *

"Ugh, my feet are killing me," groaned Tenten as she took off her heels.

"I'm just happy to finally be getting something to eat," Temari said, "I'm so hungry,"

The bridesmaids and groomsmen took ten minutes to enjoy a small lunch as the photographer showed Sakura and Sasuke's mothers the pictures taken so far.

Sitting down with her sandwich in hand, Ino checked her phone for the first time in hours. She eagerly opened the text message from Gaara that had been sent nearly forty minutes ago, creating a smile on her face.

_ "You look beautiful. I want to see you again," _

Sandwich aside, Ino texted back.

_ "Thank you, and you looked rather handsome. Your dress shirt made your arm muscles look yummy ;) and I can't wait to see you again," _

Sending the text, Ino stared at her phone impatiently as his response came in seconds later.

_ "My arm muscles will be here waiting for you. What are you doing right now?" _

_ "Eating. We are going to a garden to take more pictures before the reception. What are you doing?" _

_ "I'm with Kankuro and Yukata at a bar," _

_"Bar?"_

_ "...Their idea" _

"Ino, we're leaving," called Temari, and the blonde sent her last text.

_ "Gotta go. But I'll see you in a couple of hours :). Love you!" _

_ "I love you too," _

His response had her grinning from ear to ear as she followed everyone out the door and towards the limo outside.

The garden was almost an hour drive. Aside from the beautiful diverse range of flowers, there was a large fountain in the center. The first set of pictures were just Sakura and Sasuke, the latter gently touching his wife's growing belly. Afterwards, the pictures included the groomsmen and bridesmaids. One hour (and hundreds of pictures) later, the group went back to the limo, ready for the reception and the dancing that would soon take place.

* * *

The venue was on the second floor of a high-end restaurant. Walking alongside his brother, Gaara headed towards the table reserved for him. As Yukata and Kankuro went towards the open-bar area, Gaara sat back on his chair and watched as the crowd began to sit down. Although his expression remained neutral, as usual, he would take quick glances towards his watch while wondering when the reception would start. But he knew that receptions didn't always start on time.

Boredly, he re-opened the last text message Ino had sent him and smiled. She had sent him a selfie, one eye closed and her lips pouting as the sun made her look more radiant. And as soon as he had seen the picture, he saved it to his phone.

"Ladies and gentleman!"

A bowl-haircut shaped man, who Gaara recognized as Lee's father, stood by the stage area as the music suddenly changed.

"You all look so elegant tonight, such a blossoming sight! For those who don't know, my name is Gai and I will be your host on this beautiful night! How are you all doing tonight!?"

The crowd clapped as a good number of attendees screamed.

"Now that's the spirit! Now without further ado, I think it's time we start. Are you all ready!?"

"Yeah!"

"Hm… I don't think that was loud enough. I said, are you guys ready!?"

"YEAH!"

Gaara sighed as Kankuro and Yukata yelled in unison.

"Oh, I like the energy from those two over there! Haha! Well, let's get this party started! DJ, turn it up!"

The DJ, who was none other than the host's friend Kakashi, changed the music to a fast-beat one as the lights centered on the aisle leading towards the front of the stage. The doors leading to the venue opened, revealing Hinata and Naruto. The pair walked down the aisle as Gai began his introduction.

"And starting off we have the beautiful Hinata walking down with the charismatic Naruto. And what a beautiful duo they make!"

Upon reaching the stage, the blonde man picked Hinata up and swung her a few times before tripping over his own feet and bringing them both down to the floor as the crowd gasped.

"We're OK!" yelled Naruto, helping Hinata stand as she fixed her dress.

"Haha, well, quite an entrance there… Next up are Shikamaru and Temari!"

The duo walked down, arms locked. Temari waved as Shikamaru had a small smile, knowing that he didn't want the cameras to catch him frowning. After them were Neji and Tenten, the latter who looked more nervous than Hinata as she spotted Hiashi's approving look. She knew that in the next couple of years, it will be her walking down the aisle as Mrs. Hyuuga.

Gaara knew that up next were Lee and Ino, and he watched as the two walked down. Upon reaching the stage with everyone else, Lee grabbed Ino's hand and twirled her around a couple of times before giving her a hug. And while the crowd clapped, Gaara's frown deepened.

"Last but not least… the moment we've been waiting for… Ladies and gentleman, please stand up and give a big round of applause for Sasuke and Sakura Uchiha!"

The newly weds walked down as everyone around them clapped. As they reached the stage, the lights changed from white to pink.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for some entertainment! The first piece we have is a beautiful feature by Sakura and her bridesmaids!"

Gai placed a chair on the front of the stage before directing Sasuke to sit. The groomsmen sat by the side of the stage as Sakura and her friends stood in line. Kakashi changed the song and the girls began to move.

_Honey honey_

_I can see the stars all the way from here_

_Can't you see the glow on the window pane_

_I can feel the sun whenever you're near_

_Every time you touch me I just melt away_

_Now everybody ask me why I'm smiling out from ear to ear_

_(They say love hurts)_

_But I know (it's gonna take the real work)_

_Nothing's perfect but it's worth it_

_After fighting through my tears and finally you put me first_

_Baby it's you_

_You're the one I love_

_You're the one I need_

_You're the only one I see_

_Come on baby it's you_

_You're the one that gives your all_

_You're the one I can always call_

_When I need to make everything stop_

_Finally you put my love on top_

Taking their heels off, their moves became faster and the crowd cheered. Although the spotlight was mostly on the bride, Gaara couldn't keep his eyes off Ino. The way she moved and twirled reminded him of a ballerina dancing on ice. He wasn't sure if Ino had ever taken dance classes, that subject had never come up before. But watching her graciously twirl and move her hips to the beat made him feel uneasy. Not because he was uncomfortable with such dance, but because it made him realise that she was a beauty that he needed to claim before anyone else tried to take her away from him. Tried, of course…

"Your brother is making that look again," Yukata whispered to her boyfriend, and Kankuro nodded with a smirk before taking a picture of him. He could make a meme out of it in the future.

The song ended with Sasuke, who was now standing, hugging Sakura as the remaining ladies circled around them. The audience clapped loudly as a teary eyed Gai appeared in the center.

"W-Wow! What a beautiful performance! Big round of applause! All of you ladies looked beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! Ladies and gentleman, hold on to your dance shoes and heels because the night of dancing isn't over. Kakashi, I know we have another song lined up!"

At the queue, Naruto and Lee walked towards the dance floor and stood alongside Ino and Hinata. The lights turned a light green as the music started.

_Boy, tell me, can you take my breath away?_

_Cruisin' down a heart-shaped highway_

_Got you swervin' lane-to-lane, don't hit the brakes_

_'Cause I'm feelin' so safe_

_I'll be your baby, on a Sunday_

_Oh, why don't we get out of town?_

_Call me your baby, on the same wave_

_Oh, no, no, there's no slowin' down_

_You and I, I_

_Ridin' Harleys in Hawaii, I_

_I'm on the back, I'm holdin' tight, I_

_Want you to take me for a ride, ride_

_When I hula-hula, hula_

_So good, you'll take me to the jeweler-jeweler, jeweler_

_There's pink and purple in the sky, I_

_We're ridin' Harleys in Hawaii, I_

Gaara's teal eyes watched intensely as Lee moved along the beat with Ino in his arms. Even though he had seen them practice to this song, watching them dance with a crowd made him feel more uncomfortable. He knew that many, if not, all of the guests thought that she was single, and with Lee being her partner, it would raise some perceptions. Those perceptions drove the red-head's uncomfortness, to the point that he stood from his chair and went to the open bar area.

Kankuro watched his brother with wide eyes, surprised as a minute later he came back with whiskey in his hand. He was about to say something but stopped when he saw Gaara down the drink in one shot. He had to remember though that Gaara had started drinking as a teenager before stopping in college. After downing his drink, Gaara crossed his arms and looked elsewhere.

Two long, excruciating minutes later, the song finished and the crowd clapped loudly as the dance floor was cleared.

"Such a beautiful and, I must dare say, sexy dance by Lee, Ino, Hinata, and Naruto! Ladies and gentleman, how are you feeling?"

"Good!"

The crowd cheered, and Gai chuckled. "Excellent, because we have one more dance left! And this last piece is a beautiful song which will be danced not only by our bride and groom, but the bridesmaids and groomsmen as well. It is a song so lovely, that it will make you just fall in love… Ladies and gentlemen, are we prepared?"

"Wait!" Lee said before disappearing into the crowd.

Kankuro watched as he jogged towards his table, stopping right in front of Gaara.

"Gaara!"

The red-haired man raised an eyebrow at him as Lee grabbed his arm.

"You must be part of this one, as it is a song meant for true love!"

Gaara was about to ask but was pulled off his chair and dragged towards the dancefloor. A grinning Ino then grabbed his hands and pulled him towards the center.

"What is going on?" he asked her as she placed one hand on his shoulder.

"We're dancing, of course!"

Gaara opened his mouth but the song started and all of the sudden, Ino took a step closer to him and started moving.

_I found a love for me_

_Darling, just dive right in_

_And follow my lead_

_Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet_

_I never knew you were the someone waiting for me_

Following along, Gaara placed a hand on her waist and grabbed her hand, making small steps as he tried to look elsewhere but the crowd.

"I thought Lee was your partner," he whispered into her ear, watching as Temari gave him a wink as she danced with Shikamaru.

_Cause we were just kids when we fell in love_

_Not knowing what it was_

_I will not give you up this time_

_Darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own_

_And in your eyes, you're holding mine_

"He is, but for this song… He and I agreed that it would be better if you and I danced to it. I hope...you're not mad," Ino whispered back, placing her head on his shoulder as they continued to slowly move towards the melody.

_Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms_

_Barefoot on the grass, we're listenin' to our favorite song_

_When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath_

_But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight_

Listening to the lyrics carefully, Gaara was glad that she decided to share the dance with him instead. It truly was beautiful, and it made him love and protect her even more. Uncaring that people were watching, Gaara pulled her even closer and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"You smell like whiskey,"

"...I...drank some whiskey not too long ago…"

"Why?"

_Because I couldn't stand watching you dance with another man…_

"...I felt like it,"

He knew that she didn't believe him, but she said nothing else. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck as his around her waist. They continued their slow dance, her head tucked underneath his chin, as he thought about the next steps they would take in the relationship.

Two minutes later, the song finished and the guests clapped. The lights went back to its normal brightness and Gaara stared as unfamiliar faces cheered on. Despite his introvertness, he didn't feel too uncomfortable. However, he knew that he probably had to thank the whiskey for that.

"Wow, such a spiritual song and performance!" Gai said, DJ Kakashi simply nodding in agreement. "Now, we have some key speeches from the families of our bride and groom! Give it up, everyone, for Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha!"

Sasuke's parents walked towards the stage and looked at their son and wife, giving a beautiful speech at the fact that he found someone who would make him happy. In addition, the fact that they would soon be grandparents made them even happier and they couldn't wait for that bundle of joy to be born.

After their speech was Sakura's parents, who were happy to see their only daughter married to a caring and loving man. The fact that they would also be grandparents made them happy, and they couldn't wait to spoil their grandchild.

Gai reappeared at the center with his bright smile. "Well ladies and gentleman, what a beautiful night it has been! It is now time for some food! Tables one through seven can go and get their meals! In the meantime, if you would like to take pictures with our bride and groom please start forming a line here!"

Being one of the first tables to get food, Ino happily walked towards the buffet area. Grabbing one of the bigger plates, she filled it with numerous items as Gaara watched her curiously from behind.

"Are you going to eat all of that?"

"Gaara, I can eat a cow right now."

Considering she had been busy the whole day with pictures and dancing, he couldn't blame her. Grabbing a smaller plate, he filled some food for himself.

Sitting back down at their tables, Ino moaned as she filled her mouth with freshly cooked chicken and rice. Ah, she could feel her stomach thanking her.

Placing an arm on the back of her chair, Gaara ate quietly as he watched her focus on the food and not on the conversation everyone else sitting on their table was having. Even though her mouth became slightly dirty, he found the sight amusing.

"Ino,"

"Hm?" she asked, her eyes still on her plate though.

"Look at me,"

Doing so, Ino swallowed her food and used the napkin to clear away any crumbs.

"Come closer," he said, and she leaned towards him.

Taking the opportunity, he grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her even forward, capturing her lips in a quick yet deep kiss. Shocked, Ino stared at him with wide eyes as he gave her a slight smirk, his hand rubbing her thigh from underneath the table. But after blinking several times, her own smirk appeared as she leaned forward again.

"I know a place where we can go…"

The restaurant underneath had a small changing room. She remembered this detail when visiting it about a week ago. It was situated at the very end of the building, and Ino knew that it would be the perfect spot for them to have some privacy.

The restaurant staff were mostly busy in the kitchen, giving them the opportunity to sneak around and head towards the door. Swiftly, Ino turned the knob and opened the door, her hand quickly reaching to turn on the lights. With the door now closed and locked, Ino turned around. She couldn't wait to feel his lips on hers again, and clearly Gaara felt the same way too. Instantly his hands were on the back of her thighs, lifting her effortlessly as his mouth was on hers. With a giggle, Ino wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling her back pressed against the wall. His thumbs rubbed the top of her thighs, and Ino groaned frustrantly.

"Stop teasing me," she said against his lips.

"I'm teasing you?" his eyes narrowed dangerously, "Do you know how hard it's been watching you with Lee? Dressed like this, holding his arm, dancing…"

"Lee was just my partner," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and toying with the back of his hair, "And the wedding will be over in a couple of hours,"

"To say you took my breath away today, is an understatement. Ino, I...I think I may have fallen more in love with you,"

The blonde smiled before giving him a long kiss, cupping his face as their tongues danced in each other's mouths. With her legs still around his waist, she began to unbutton his dress shirt.

"...Today," he said between kisses, "I want you…"

"I want you right now," she whispered back, her face flushed as he nibbled on her neck.

"I see no problem with that,"

As he placed her back down, Ino's hands were on the buckle of his belt while his were on the zipper of her dress. Careful not to tear the soft fabric, he pulled the zipper down, his eyes scanning her bare back. Kissing her neck, he rubbed her back as she raised one of her legs, prompting Gaara to lift her again. The fact that the small room had no furniture was fine with him. He would make love to her against the wall.

Pulling back from her neck as she looked at him with a smile, the side of her dress began to slowly slide down from her shoulders. Intuitively, his eyes landed on her soon to-be bare chest. He had seen her breasts before and could remember correctly how they looked. But that time, they were nothing more but roommates. Now, they were more and he couldn't wait to give every piece of her body attention.

Nonetheless, something happened all of the sudden before her dress even came off completely. He heard Ino gasp before pulling her dress upward, her head bowed downward as she wiggled out of his arms; and he placed her on the floor. He gave her a confused look as she turned around, her back towards him.

"...I...I just realized that I'm not ready for this...not tonight, at least. Can you zip me up?"

Still confused at what just happened, Gaara zipped her dress back up.

"Thanks. We should get going-"

"Talk to me, Ino." he demanded, grabbing her arm and turning her around.

Ino felt guilty, his eyes scanning her face for a clue of what led to her changing her mind. Her eyes went to the undone buttons of his dress shirt, and she raised her arms to redo them.

"Why won't you talk to me?" he asked, and she could hear the hurtness in his voice.

"I love you, OK? I'm just...not ready and-"

"Sir, I finally got the door opened! And-WHOA!"

A young boy, probably fifteen or sixteen, gaped at the couple as he pointed his finger towards them.

"Uh..Um… you-you guys aren't supposed t-to be in th-there,"

"Relax kid," Ino said, walking out hand-in-hand with Gaara, "We were just praying,"

* * *

Temari, Shikamaru, Yukata, and Kankuro gave each other amused looks as they saw Gaara and Ino walk back inside the venue. Even though the couple acted as if nothing happened, their rumpled clothes clearly gave away the mischievous acts they had been trying to do.

"...So...that's what they were doing for the last half an hour…" Kankuro commented.

"His shirt isn't fully buttoned," Yukata pointed out, "Second button from the top is still opened,"

"And her dress isn't fully zipped up," Temari added afterwards.

The couple sat down in front of them, and upon noticing their stares, Ino glared back.

"What are you guys looking at?"

"Should we be expecting a little bundle of joy from you two in nine months?"

Ino glared at Shikamaru as Gaara simply blinked, unphased by the comment. Before she could give a snarky response, the music changed and Gai invited everyone to the dancefloor.

The rest of the night consisted of more dancing. The photographer's assistants took videos of the guests on the dance floor: from Naruto awkwardly showing Sasuke some dance moves, to Neji and Tenten dancing with their arms wrapped around each other, to Izumi dancing around a somewhat shy Itachi. Sakura danced with her father, as Sasuke eventually danced with his mother. Gai and Lee stood by the center for a dance battle, urging others to join. Rin danced with her husband Obito, their young son sleeping by his great-uncle Madara. Yukata and Temari danced together as Kankuro and Choji decided to eat a third plate of food while Shikamaru sat by a corner, counting down the minutes until he could go home and sleep.

Yawning, Ino placed the back of her head on Gaara's shoulder as she danced with him standing behind her. His arms were around her as they moved slowly.

"Sleepy?"

"Yup," she said with a nod.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen! Gather around for one last picture!"

The crowd moved closer as Sasuke and Sakura stood at the center.

"OK in three, we cheer! One...two...three!"

* * *

_ **Three hours later…** _

Gaara washed his face as he felt today's event finally catching up to him. In short, he was very tired. It was nearly four in the morning, and he and Ino had arrived ten minutes ago from the wedding.

Wearing nothing but pajama pants, he exited the bathroom and headed towards his bedroom, finding Ino still sleeping on his bed.

She had fallen asleep on the car ride back home, and not wanting to wake her up, he carried her towards their apartment. He thought she would have woken up, but instead she had gone into a deeper slumber and he knew that he shouldn't wake her up. Not just because she had been awake for over fourteen hours, but because Ino was someone who didn't like to be woken up.

Sitting down on the bed, he removed her heels before looking at the dress. Although it wasn't tight, he knew that it was probably not comfortable to sleep with it on. In addition, she could rip it while asleep. But remembering how she reacted earlier today, he decided to leave her clothed. Instead, he turned off the lights and laid next to her, spooning her while placing the sheet over their bodies and going to sleep.


	26. Bliss

Ino couldn't remember the last time she went on a vacation. But one thing was for sure - it was time for one and she was glad that she would be taking it with Gaara. The idea had come from him shortly after Sakura's wedding, and it had surprised her. Not only because it would be their very first vacation as a couple, but he had also purchased the plane tickets and resort for those five days.

_"Gaara, I can also pay for myself! Let me at least pay you my share,"_

_"No," he said with a shake of his head, "This is something I've been thinking about for months. I wanted to make sure you were physically better and done with the wedding."_

_"Fine, let me pay for all of our food then-"_

_"Food's already included with the resort. It's an all-inclusive."_

_Ino gaped at him in disbelief, "Gaara, how much did you pay for all of this?"_

_"Doesn't matter,"_

_"Yes it freaking does!"_

_"..."_

_"Fine then, don't tell me. But the rental car is on me!"_

_"...I already paid for the rental…"_

After much back and forth in regards to the spending, Ino gave up. Instead, she looked forward to the trip.

The destination was Hawaii, primarily the main island. As soon as they had exited the airport and made their way to the rental car facility, Ino felt the island's warmth tickle her skin.

After picking up the small SUV rental, Gaara had driven them towards the resort.

The resort was a large, 30-story building situated right on the beach. In addition, it had various amenities: a game room with pool table, movie theater, fitness center, bar, and a large pool area.

Their room was on the 29th floor, which allowed them to get a gorgeous view of the city and beach. The room had a king size bed, large flatscreen TV, shower and bathtub, and mini fridge. Excited that their trip had officially begun, Ino threw herself on the bed, enjoying the complimentary snacks laid out on the bed.

The rest of the day consisted of them enjoying the amenities provided by the resort (pool table, games, and drinks) before taking a walk by the beach.

Their second day consisted of a long hike up a dormant volcano, something Gaara had been looking forward to. And even though Ino knew that her body would be sore the next day, she knew that Gaara enjoyed this type of activity. They both prepared for the strenuous hike, which was no more than five miles getting to the top. Nonetheless, the steep climb became a challenge, more for her than him.

Thirty minutes into their hike and Ino's legs had started protesting, prompting her to sit on the ground and massage them. After five minutes of resting, they hiked for another twenty before she demanded for another break.

Overall, it took them an hour and a half before reaching the top of the volcano. The top presented them with a wide view of the island, and Ino had to admit that despite the steep tiring climb, it was truly worth it. Taking her phone out, she took several pictures, including selfies of her and Gaara.

"Make sure to drink enough water," he took out a bottle from the bag he carried and handed it to her, "It is easy to become dehydrated in this area. How are you feeling?"

"My legs are killing me. How are you not tired?"

"I am, but I am used to pushing myself. Hiking down will be easier,"

Twenty minutes later, the couple hiked down the volcano. Although hiking down was easier, the fact that her legs felt wobbly and tired made her slip and almost fall a couple of times.

They grabbed a quick lunch before heading back to their hotel room, both of them sweaty and tired from the strenuous activity.

"I don't think I have energy to do anything else," she said walking out of the shower, wearing a long t-shirt with panties underneath.

He nodded in agreement, his hair still wet from his shower, as she laid down next to him. He gave her sore legs a small massage as she drifted off to sleep.

With the previous day's hike still affecting their bodies, Ino and Gaara decided to stay by the beach on the third day.

Gaara sat by the edge bed, wearing dark gray trunks and red t-shirt, as he waited for Ino to come out of the bathroom.

Ino loved the bikini. It was a two-piece she had not worn in a while. It was purple and, she must admit, tiny. She remembered her father's expression when she first wore it, and how he almost threw it out the trash one night. She was glad that her mother had been there to stop him, citing that Ino was a growing young woman and there was nothing wrong with showing a little skin.

But right now, she mentally kicked herself for not bringing a different type of swimsuit. Even though the two-piece highlighted her curves, it also displayed the hideous scar between her breasts. Despite some portions of it becoming faded, mostly around the edges, the center of it still remained prominent. She knew that it would take many more months for it to completely fade away.

"I'll just put my feet in the water then," she said while putting on a black t-shirt and then exiting.

"I'm ready!"

Gaara glanced at her, his eyebrow raising at the overly large shirt she wore.

"Will you be comfortable in that?"

"Yup! Besides, I won't be getting into the water much. I...don't feel like swimming,"

"Why?"

It took her a couple of seconds to respond. "Hm...I just...don't feel like it."

The look he gave her highlighted his disbelief, and Ino should've known that Gaara could read her like an open book. She could sense the tension rising, and knew that this time, Gaara wasn't going anywhere until he got the answers he needed.

"Ino, I know there is something going on… Something is bothering you," he walked towards her, prompting her to walk backwards until her back hit the wall. He placed his hands on either side of her head, teal eyes narrowing. "I know that something is bothering you...has been since you first came home from the hospital. With you healing, and then the wedding, I know that things weren't easy. And I didn't want to pressure you into doing something that made you uncomfortable."

She didn't respond, trying to avoid his gaze but Gaara grabbed her chin and made her look back at him.

"Why won't you tell me what's going on?"

"...I...It's just...it's not easy…"

"Why? Are you afraid of something?"

Was she afraid of something? She was, actually. And not just one thing, but multiple. The scar in the middle of her chest was a daily reminder of her fears.

He cupped her face upon seeing her hesitation, the act prompting her to unleash the tears she had been trying to withhold for the last couple of minutes. The anguish had become too much. Gaara pulled her forward and allowed her to cry on his chest, her hot tears smearing against his shirt as he stroked the back of her head.

They stood in that position for some time, her crying and him giving her his warmth. The fact that the conversation was happening in the middle of their vacation didn't bother him at all. As a matter of fact, he was looking forward to getting her out of the apartment and city in order to give her something new and understand what was going on in her mind.

He looked down at her as she rubbed her eyes and sniffed, using her t-shirt to remove the tear marks. Her sobbing subdued, however she continued to hug him as if her life depended on it.

"...I...I'm afraid of failing...of killing someone by accident… Tsunade tells me that it was no one's fault… Even the court ruled on our side! B-But...what if...I did mess up and there's no way to prove it? What if my mistake caused that little girl to die?"

"How can you be certain that you even made a mistake?"

"I...am not sure…"

"Then why are you blaming yourself for what happened, if nobody else is? And the person who was...is rightfully gone."

She shook her head, biting her bottom lip. "My chest…. Gaara…. Everytime I look at it, I think about everything. How it all started...and how it cascaded down to me being shot!"

Gaara watched as she took a step back and removed her shirt. The fabric hit the floor, and there was a silence between the two of them. His eyes landed on the scar in the middle of her chest. It was reddish-pinkish color, and extended from the top of her breasts to the center of her stomach. He suddenly understood why she always wore large t-shirts to bed, and why she had stopped their session days ago during the wedding.

"I don't think I'll ever get rid of it," she said, "Every day I look at it… Did you know that Hinata and I switched dresses just so no one could even see an inch of this? Look at how hideous it is! It looks like… It looks like…"

"A mark that shows you survived," he replied for her, "It shows that at the end of the day, he wasn't able to kill you. He's dead, but you're not. You're here with your family, friends...and me,"

Ino blinked as he stepped closer to her, smiling as he lightly traced his index finger over her scar. His touch made her feel different sets of emotions - uncertainty, nervousness, and happiness.

"What if it never goes away? Doesn't it disgust you? Or make you feel-AAH!"

A gasp fell out of her lips the moment her back hit the mattress. She sat up but was quickly pushed down as his body traveled over hers. She was ready to ask him why he had thrown her on the bed when his lips touched her neck before traveling down to her scar, leaving a sense of bewilderment and excitement coursing through her body.

"G-Gaara, what are you doing?" she asked, her hand instantly holding the back of his head as his kisses traveled back up to her face.

"About to have sex with you,"

"Wh-What?! Did you not hear everything I just said?"

"Yeah,"

Staring at the ceiling, she blinked several times as she felt his fingers toy with the strings of her bikini.

"A-Aren't you...disgusted...by the scar?"

"Nope. With all of the surgeries you had, I figured you would have some scars. Do you think that some scars are going to stop me from loving you? Do you not see how much I love you? Ino, I've had feelings for you before all of this. When you were in a coma, I constantly dreamt of you… Making love to you… Having a future with you… My only regret was not acting sooner and protecting you. And now that I have you here, in my arms, you think I'm going to let you go over some scars?"

Ino saw as he smiled down at her, realizing that this was one of the few times Gaara was actually talkative. Her self-esteem had taken a hit the moment she woke up, and she knew that it would be a while before she would be that same confident young woman from a year ago. Raising herself to her elbows, Ino gave him a deep kiss before pulling back and smirking.

"So...you had wet dreams about me?"

She expected him to become shy, and possibly turn away, but he didn't. Instead, he began to undo the strings of her bikini.

"I'm not ashamed to admit that yes, I've had multiple dreams in which I had sex with you… Nothing but sex."

The way he said it made her more turned on, prompting her to adjust herself so he was lying between her legs. She felt her face heat up as the next set of words left her mouth.

"I...I...guess it's time we finish what we've...been trying to start?"

His response was him taking his shirt off and throwing it across the room, and Ino couldn't help herself but lean upwards and nibble on his neck. Her hands grabbed the top of his trunks before a sudden realization hit her.

"Wait, Gaara. We didn't bring any condoms-"

"I did," he said, fetching his wallet and pulling the small packet out.

"Wow, so you even had _this_ planned as well," she said in a sexual tone.

He didn't respond to her, opting to show and do to her everything he had in mind.

Beach plans aside, they spent the next hour making love. With their bodies and feelings connected, a sense of joy pulsed through them upon reaching final bliss; finally filling in the gap for their requited love.


	27. The End

There were boxes everywhere on the floor as Ino tiptoed around them, a sharpie in her hands as she continued to label them.

"This one has pots and pans… and this one has the plates… and this one has pantry food…"

"Ino, honey, you sure you don't want these extra sheets?" her mom asked.

"No. We have plenty. And besides, it's just one bed."

The older woman sighed with a nod. "You sure? Doesn't hurt to have extra blankets."

"Yes, mom. I'm sure," came her reply with a yawn.

She had been awake since seven in the morning, cleaning the apartment and putting everything into boxes as Gaara went to pick up the moving truck. She had given her bed and dresser to her parents a week ago, opting to use Gaara's bedroom set.

Moving was tiresome, yet she looked forward to sharing a new home with him. Their new apartment was on the opposite side of the city, closer to the restaurants and nightlife. It was a spacious one-bedroom on the sixth floor of a ten-floor building. Its new appliances and exquisite lighting gave it the feel of luxury, something she loved.

Gaara, Neji, Shikamaru, Kankuro, and Naruto arrived and started loading the moving truck with the furniture and boxes. Ino grabbed one of the boxes as well but was immediately stopped by Gaara. He took the box away from her.

"You shouldn't be lifting,"

"Why not? It's not that heavy,"

"You can strain a muscle, and that's the last thing you want," he replied while looking at her chest, reminding her of her still-healing injury. She grunted, despite knowing that he was right. She was scheduled to start work in two weeks, and the last thing she wanted was her injury causing her to delay that.

It took the men an hour before the truck was fully loaded, leaving Ino and her mother standing in an empty apartment.

"I'll be back once we drop off our stuff," Gaara told her, giving her a brief kiss on the cheek before leaving.

"Is it me, or does Gaara look more...built? His muscles seem to be more...noticeable..."

"Mom! Ew! You're like double his age!"

"Well excuse me! First of all, he's an adult, not some teenager. So don't _ew_ me, young lady! Second of all, it's a compliment. He's definitely gotten more handsome,"

Ino rolled her eyes at her, despite knowing that what she just said wasn't a lie at all. Gaara's physique did get bigger. Not in a dramatic body-building way. But his abs became more prominent and his arms a bit thicker. She made it a habit of tracing his abs at night before going to sleep.

* * *

It took the men an hour after moving everything into the new apartment to finish assembling the furniture. Neji and Shikamaru reassembled the bed frame as Kankuro and Naruto took care of the rest of the furniture.

"You've got a pretty good view from here," Shikamaru pointed out, hands in his pockets as he stared at the slow moving clouds.

"Yeah, that's why we selected this one," Gaara said, "The windows bring in a good amount of sunlight. And Ino already has ideas of how she wants to decorate this room."

"Is it far from your jobs?"

"No, about the same distance as our previous apartment. It's closer to the supermarket we shop at, which is good."

"How is she doing? With the healing."

"Better. I know she gets nightmares sometimes. Not as bad as from two months ago, but occasionally she gets them. Sometimes she'll tell me about it… But when she doesn't, it becomes harder."

"Let me guess, she pretends like it's nothing but her expressions give it away,"

Gaara nodded. "Yeah. I think she worries that I'll get tired of her talking about it."

"Ino's very self-conscious. It'll take a while for her to let go of that,"

"Yeah,"

"Did she enjoy the vacation, at least?"

"She did,"

"Oi, what are you two gossiping about!?" Kankuro asked as he walked over to them, "Naruto and I just finished hanging the TV. Anything else you need help with?"

"No. Ino and I can do everything else,"

"Cool. Oh, and by the way Gaara, you owe me a hundred bucks,"

With her mother gone, Ino was left alone in the empty apartment. Waiting for Gaara to come back, she walked around and remembered the events from the past year.

Upon walking into the kitchen, she noticed a small stain on the floor, near the stove. Ah, the moment she had dropped a boiling pot of ramen…

She remembered that evening clearly. The kitchen sink had become clogged, and Gaara took it upon himself to fix it. As she stirred their dinner, Gaara had been sitting on the floor for nearly an hour clearing the pipe. Although the kitchen wasn't small, it was tight in some areas. The stove was situated right next to the sink, which had prompted her being careful not to step on her roommate.

_"Is it fixed now?"_

_"...It should be…" Gaara said, standing up and turning on the faucet._

_Ino went back to stirring the ramen, eager to finally be eat-_

_A splash sound was heard, prompting Gaara to take a few steps back and bump into her. Ino had been so intrigued in watching the dinner cook that she didn't have enough time to move out of the way, causing her to lean onto the stove and elbow the pot. Soon enough, their dinner and water from the sink covered half their kitchen, and the two simply sighed in defeat._

_"Should we get pizza?"_

_"Yeah…"_

"Ino?"

The blonde turned and smiled at her incoming boyfriend.

"You're finally back! What took you so long?"

"We assembled all of the furniture. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to miss this place. So much has happened. Good and bad. Like the time you bumped into me and I spilled the ramen,"

He gave her a smile, "Yeah, I remember that. We ended up getting pizza for dinner,"

"Yup,"

"Now that I think about it, you and I had dinner almost every day."

Ino agreed to that, remembering how they would either take turns or cook together. She remembered some of her colleagues telling her various things upon finding out that she was leaving with a male.

_"Your roommate is a guy? You know men don't like cooking or cleaning. Girl, you'll be cleaning up after him soon!"_

_"Oh, he's your roommate? Good luck living with a guy for a whole year! I've been living with my husband for twenty years, and you would think he would know how to wash his clothes!"_

_"Guys love to leave the damn toilet seat up. You'll be falling in one of these days!"_

The first two statements had been incorrect when it came to Gaara. The last one was true, and Ino could count the numerous times she had a heart attack trying to sit on the toilet and realizing that the seat was up.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just remembering the time I had to pee really bad...and you left the toilet seat up,"

"You could have put it down,"

"I was in a rush, and didn't realize until I felt myself almost fall in,"

Gaara chuckled at that, "I'll try to keep that in mind. But no promises."

Ino rolled her eyes as she walked around the empty bedroom she occupied for a year.

"There are no trees by our new place," Gaara said, "so you shouldn't be seeing any bugs,"

"Good! Can't stand those slimy bastards."

Gaara recalled the various times she had barged into his room and begged him to kill whatever thing was crawling in her room. Unfortunately for her, her bedroom window had been near a tall thick tree which hosted palmetto bugs. During the fall and winter times, the bugs barely came out. But during the summer times, it was bad. Because the tree branch had been so close to her window, the bugs would stay by her window and slide through once said window would be opened. And this, of course, resulted in disaster for her. When he had eventually explained to her why her room was getting these bugs, and nowhere else in the apartment, her response was typical Ino style.

_"Then I'm going to cut that damn branch down!"_

_"This city actually has restrictions on that… You'll need to get a permit and provide reasoning as to why you need the whole branch cut. And then pay a fee,"_

_"Ugh, fine! Then I'll just remove some twigs from it! I'm sure they won't notice…"_

True to her words, one day she had sat by the window ledge and broke the twigs closest to the window.

"Oh, remember that old lady from upstairs! The one who asked me for your number!"

"...I...remember," Gaara said, remembering the woman who had to be in her early nineties. Gaara had helped her once with her groceries and after that, she had become infatuated with him. There would be times she would randomly drop by and ask for him. And Ino, being the mischievous woman she was, would invite the older woman for dinner and allow her to sit right next to him.

The elderly woman did this for almost a month before suddenly stopping. Even though her affection for him made him uncomfortable, Gaara was always friendly to her since he knew she was simply an old woman living by herself.

"Do you know what came of her?"

"Actually, I do. Eventually I found out that her grandkids had moved her to a nursing home since she was getting early signs of dementia,"

Gaara blinked at her, "Is that why she always kept asking for my number, even though she had it?"

Ino nodded, "Probably. I wonder if she had dementia this whole time, considering most people get it in their fifties or sixties."

"I see… Would you know which nursing home she's in? I would like to visit her, and tell her about us."

Ino smiled at the idea, "I don't, but considering her grandkids live not too far from here and there's only two nursing homes in the area, I can make some calls. I think she'll be ecstatic to see you. Don't be surprised if she starts asking us about having kids."

Gaara groaned before kissing her cheek, "One step at a time… Ready to go? We need to hand over our keys… And I also need to stop by the ATM,"

"ATM? For what?"

"...I have to give Kankuro a hundred bucks, in cash."

"Why?"

"I lost a bet,"

"What was the bet?"

"Whether I would sleep with you before or after our lease ended. He was pretty confident that it would happen before,"

"And you were confident that it would happen after?" she teased, watching as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"I didn't want to make things awkward if I were to approach you while being your roommate… But considering everything that's happened, I regret not doing things sooner."

Ino pecked his lips, "We're together now, and that's all it matters."

Holding hands, they looked around their now ex-apartment one more time as more memories filled their minds. And while the journey had been an interesting one, both smooth and bumpy, they were both glad that eventually it led to them starting something new.

"Well, here's to a new chapter of our lives," Ino said, a bit sad yet optimistic.

They exited their now-old apartment as Gaara turned off the lights and locked the door behind them for good.

_And suddenly you know…_

_It's time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings._

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and liking this story! Please tell me what you thought of it completely.   
I am excited to finally be finishing this, as now I can focus on other (new) ideas!
> 
> thanks~


End file.
